Unlocking Business Growth: The Power of Custom Chatbots for Lead Generation
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses across various sectors are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance their customer engagement and lead generation strategies. One transformative solution that has emerged is the use of custom chatbots. These AI-driven assistants are not just a technological novelty; they are a versatile tool capable of revolutionizing how businesses interact with potential customers.
For e-commerce platforms, chatbots can be a game-changer. Imagine a virtual assistant on your website, available 24/7, guiding visitors through your product range, offering personalized recommendations based on their browsing history or preferences, and even assisting them through the checkout process. This not only enhances the shopping experience but also captures valuable customer information, turning casual browsers into potential leads.
In the real estate industry, chatbots can take customer service to a new level. Prospective buyers and renters often have numerous questions about properties. A chatbot can provide instant answers to common queries, schedule viewings, and even collect contact details for follow-up, thereby nurturing leads efficiently without any human intervention.
For those in professional services like law, finance, or consulting, chatbots can serve as the first point of contact. They can assess a visitor’s needs, schedule appointments, and gather preliminary information for the service provider. This pre-qualification process ensures that professionals spend their time engaging with the most promising leads.
The healthcare sector can also leverage chatbots effectively. These AI tools can help schedule appointments, offer basic health advice, and even remind patients of upcoming visits or medication schedules. This not only improves patient engagement but also captures new patient inquiries, streamlining the process for both the patient and the healthcare provider.
In the education sector, chatbots can provide immediate responses to student inquiries, assist with course selection, and offer information on admission procedures. This immediate engagement can be crucial in capturing the interest of prospective students and guiding them through the enrollment process.
Even local businesses such as restaurants or salons can benefit from chatbots. These virtual assistants can manage reservations, answer FAQs about services or menu items, and gather contact details for promotional purposes. This enhances customer service and creates a database of potential repeat customers.
Lastly, for businesses in the entertainment and events industry, chatbots can handle ticket bookings, provide event information, and even offer personalized recommendations based on user preferences. This not only boosts ticket sales but also improves the overall customer experience.
In conclusion, custom chatbots represent a powerful tool for businesses looking to enhance their lead generation and customer engagement strategies. By providing immediate, personalized, and efficient service, chatbots can help businesses across various sectors not only capture but also nurture leads more effectively. The future of customer interaction is here, and it’s conversational!
Stay ahead of the curve by integrating custom chatbots into your business strategy today!
Background: Recently, a mid-sized medical clinic, faced challenges in attracting new patients and managing appointments efficiently. Their existing website was outdated, not user-friendly, and lacked essential features for effective online engagement. Recognizing these issues, they partnered with Big Splash Web Design to develop a custom website that could meet their growing needs.
Challenge: Their primary challenges included:
Low online visibility leading to inadequate lead generation.
An inefficient appointment booking system causing operational bottlenecks.
A lack of engaging content and interactivity to keep potential patients interested.
Solution: Big Splash Web Design approached these challenges with a multi-faceted strategy:
Custom Website Design: The team developed a visually appealing, easy-to-navigate website. The design was optimized for both desktop and mobile users, ensuring accessibility for all potential patients.
SEO Optimization: To increase online visibility, the website was optimized for search engines with relevant keywords, quality content, and a strong backlink profile.
Integrated Booking System: An easy-to-use, online appointment booking system was integrated, allowing patients to schedule appointments 24/7.
Content Strategy: Engaging and informative content was created, including health blogs, patient testimonials, and an FAQ section, enhancing user engagement and trust.
Analytics and Tracking: The website was equipped with advanced analytics to track user behavior, providing insights for continuous improvement.
Results: Within six months of launching the new website, the medical practice observed significant improvements:
Increased Leads: Website traffic increased by 73%, with a 41% increase in new user visits.
Higher Conversion Rate: Online appointment bookings rose by 47%, directly attributing to the streamlined booking system.
Improved Patient Engagement: Time spent on the website increased by 30%, indicating higher engagement with the content.
Operational Efficiency: The integrated booking system reduced administrative workload by around 25%, allowing staff to focus on patient care.
Conclusion: The collaboration with Big Splash Web Design proved to be a pivotal step for this medical practice. The custom website not only enhanced their online presence but also streamlined their operations, resulting in increased leads, appointments, and improved patient satisfaction. This case study demonstrates how a well-designed website, coupled with an effective digital strategy, can transform the way medical practices interact with and serve their patients.
SEO from the beginning – You should incorporate SEO planning into your website project right from the start. Many builders opt for the “build first, ask later” approach and inevitably get fried as a result. Don’t be like the entrepreneur who spent thousands on a marketing and advertising campaign around his new website’s launch which was built entirely using Flash. Save yourself time and money by making SEO a priority right from the beginning which will influence the way the design, layout and content of the website is built and placed. Constantly meet with the SEO project team to ensure that all site elements are addressed, such as tags, links, content, site architecture, URL, code and redirects. SEO matters should always be considered from the website planning and development stage all the way to the maintenance phase, and beyond. Things to take note of:
Flash-type websites are not good for SEO because Google’s spiders can’t read flash.
Websites full of graphics and little text cannot rank well, as spiders can’t see images.
Focus on building text-based content. The longer and more useful information there is, the merrier.
Focus on having only one main keyword per web page.
Use the right keywords – Sounds easy? Picking the right keywords to use requires a thorough understanding of what words and phrases your target audience is likely to use when entering search queries and a strong research effort to optimize said words. Stand in their shoes and determine what words they are going to enter to find your website and web pages. Don’t use technical and sophisticated terms; searchers don’t understand what they mean and won’t bother inputting them to find what they want. Instead use layman terms. As mentioned, use phrases that narrow down the focus and attract your intended target audience. Devise a list of words that you think are relevant to your website, and then use keyword research tools to further refine and whittle down the list. Take the following into consideration when deliberating on the choice of keywords:
Strong relevancy for which you can create content to support and build on.
Low number of search results and small competition.
Popular terms that many people use and, hence, a high search volume.
Conduct careful research to find the right balance. You do not want keywords that are so generic that you will have a hard time getting into the rankings (let alone finding your target audience) and yet you also do not want them to be too narrow and specific that no one will search for them. Also, consider the following once the keywords have been chosen:
For best results, each web page should have 1 main keyword and 4 related keywords at most.
Support your keywords with relevant text and content, and all of this information should be placed high up on the web page, at the very beginning of the body of content.
Be sure to include keywords in the following elements: navigation links, headings, all tags (title, description, and meta), and alt text.
Keep the keyword list updated and anticipate cyclical changes when keywords will evolve to suit a particular event or circumstance. Store keywords into an inventory and constantly run keyword research tools on them to see what’s hot and what’s not at any given moment. As your website grows and evolves along with customer needs and wants, so too will your keyword list grow in tandem.
Do not go overboard and saturate your web pages with keywords, hoping to rank high on search engine rankings this way. You may find yourself pushed lower instead. In SEO, keyword density means the percentage of times a particular keyword appears on a webpage compared to the total number of words in that webpage. Spiders that crawl and detect a high keyword density may conclude that you are merely padding your webpage with that keyword (keyword stuffing) to try to attract traffic and they may penalize you by downgrading your search engine ranking based on that keyword. A general rule of thumb is to keep the keyword density around 2 to 4 percent in body content. This is the best range from our experience.
Targeted, directed traffic over mass traffic – Your SEO efforts should be about getting qualified traffic, traffic that matters. Fact is, general visitors to your site are going to spend just a little amount of time on your website. Targeted visitors are going to see if your site really has what they want, what they need. A sound SEO plan will answer the visitor’s query and attend to his needs as soon as he arrives at the website, such as through optimised content management whereby rich, relevant information such as articles and links are strategically placed on the body of the page.
Every page on your website is an access point – Remember: Google ranks pages, not domains. Gone are the days when the website’s homepage served as the primary access point from which visitors examine and navigate the rest of the website. SEO has flung wide the doors of opportunity and now searchers can be directed to their destinations without having to navigate through a primary homepage. Indeed, they can land anywhere on your website as long as it pertains to what they are seeking. Smart online business owners will know that the importance of SEO is not limited to just the traditional homepage of the website, but every page has the potential to attract potential customers and be the setting point from which they further explore their website. Hence, be sure to address potential customer needs and wants by having clear, easy site navigation, well written site content that tells the visitor which part of the site they are on and where to go to further their queries within the site, an internal search tool, comparable listings, and site anchors. Every web page should have a clear main keyword, appropriate meta tags, descriptions, page titles and qualified content so that they go with your targeted audience’s queries and needs when they search online and navigate to your webpage.
Content, Content, Content – At its heart SEO is about the proper usage of words, words and words. Clear, easy to understand content that informs and answers the queries and questions of searchers will attract traffic. Most importantly, good and relevant content can retain traffic. Whether you like it or not, Google is extremely good at tracking visitor behavior. If a site’s visitors show satisfaction, then Google will reward that site with better ranking, since it means that the search results displayed is very relevant to what the searchers want. It will also give spiders a lucid idea of what your site is about and what it aims to achieve. Be sure to observe proper grammar and spelling, proper placement and usage of keywords and phrases, and the content must be fresh, up to date and be presented in short, easily readable paragraphs. You don’t have to do all the writing by yourself. Make use of user generated content such as reviews, feedbacks, news feeds and research reports to bolster your existing content.
Your image is at stake – Do a quick search on Google and see what results you get when you enter your business’ name, your name, your employee’s name, the nature of your business, and other queries related to your online business. You may be surprised to find that there are negative things said about you out there. Worst, it could be very first thing you see on the first page. It might be negative content that has since lost its relevancy as time goes by. It might have been a fault about your product that your business has since corrected. However, just by sitting there on the first spot of search engine rankings today, it’s going to give searchers and your audience a negative perception about you right off the bat. What’s an online business to do? Engage SEO and make sure that you optimize your web site’s on-page and off-page leverage so it gets to, and stays, at the top, knocking off the bad press pages. Marketing and branding wise, be smart and generate useful content to project a positive image. Engage your viewers, both good and bad, to see what needs to be done. Have constant, frequent dialogue with bloggers, customers and online communities. Spread good things about your online business that you know will set tongues wagging (and fingers clicking) on the Internet, such as contributions to noble causes and charitable donations. Good image helps branding, which in turn builds word of mouth on the Internet, which translates to more backlinking to your web site. Others will pick up the good news and create their own positive content about your online business. Over time, quite simply, the good content is going to grow and grow, meaning more free backlinks!
Whenever you can, be specific – Use keywords and phrases instead of Don’t use “we”, “us”, “our”, for example. Spiders aren’t going to understand what those terms are referring to. Instead, use terms like “ABC corporation” whenever you can.
Place the keywords and phrases at the beginning of the content – Spiders allocate more value to words and phrases that are placed near the top of the content, especially the first 100 They may read the entire content from top to bottom, or they may not. Similarly, your visitors may read the entire content from beginning to end, but they aren’t likely to read all of it if the first few sentences don’t have the keywords or phrases that will anchor their attention to your webpage. Present yourself clearly and effectively from the beginning.
Use keywords and phrases as often as possible – Just don’t go overboard and place words and phrases for the sake of spider crawling alone. Be intelligent and creative in how you present your content. Keep in mind the content is for your target market, not for the spiders. Before starting to write, research the keywords and phrases that are relevant to what you are doing and that will accomplish your goals, and make sure that they match precisely what your intended target audience will be entering into their search engine queries.
Use semantically related words – To take advantage of latent semantic indexing, use words and phrases that are related to your main keyword or phrase and include them into your web page. Search engines give more priority and rank higher those pages that back up their keywords with related terms. For example, if your website is about computers, use related terms like PC, hardware, software, laptop, desktop, computers, computing, mouse, monitors, hard drive, motherboard, processor, and so forth, throughout your whole website.
Observe differing versions of keywords and phrases – Consider the plural and singular form for words and phrases. Ascertain the way searchers enter the query words if they have various spelling forms (digicam, digital camera). Be consistent about the way you enter keywords and phrases into your web page. Use only one form of spelling for one particular web page. So, as an example, you can use the term “digital camera” as the main keyword for one web page, and its variant term “digicam” as the main keyword for another page. Doing this also helps you rank for multiple keywords.
Use phrases over single keywords – Searchers are more likely to enter phrases than keywords into search boxes to narrow down their search results and be more specific in finding what they want. “Computer” is too generic as a keyword. Searchers may instead enter “Dell studio 450”. In this case, you want to have a page that targets this keyword. Use relevant phrases that will direct your target audience to your web pages.
Don’t use images if you can write it instead – Spiders read and interpret text and cannot decipher images. If you can write it out, then do so. If you want to put in images, at least make sure to tag and label them accordingly along with a proper caption. A description below the image to tell what the image is about works very well.
Proper grammar and spelling – Proofread and edit your content frequently to catch spelling mistakes and grammar errors. It does no good if you spell your keywords wrongly and searchers aren’t going to find your website on the search engines. Whenever your website is updated with new content, make sure they are properly proofread. The exception to the rule is, if you are targeting misspelled keywords, you probably want to “intentionally” misspell the words so you can rank for the misspelled keyword.
Snippets are important – A snippet is the short text that accompanies every search engine result. These are added as a meta-description on your pages. They are important in drawing searchers to your site since they can be used to encapsulate what your website/web page is about. Write a unique description meta tag for every web page that you have so that searchers get a clear understanding of what you offer on your site. Snippets are gaining more importance nowadays as Google is tracking the click-through rates of search results listings. If you are ranked #7 yet you have a better click-through rate and retention rate than listing #5, you are probably going to rank higher very soon.
Don’t use Flash – Spiders don’t read Flash. If you really must, create another HTML site to complement your Flash site. Flash sites may be flashy and look very cool and modern, but when it comes to SEO they might as well not exist.
Don’t duplicate your content – Spiders don’t look too kindly on blocks of the same text and content that appear on multiple domains or pages of the same website. Vary your content from page to page, domain to domain. Use “nofollow” and “noindex” to block spiders from accessing the duplicates otherwise.
Create your website using clean, efficient coding – Avoid clunky, messy coding that will confuse spiders as they crawl through your website. Search engines like websites with clean, uniform, precise and efficient code that are more semantically defined and that comply with the latest Web standards.
Don’t use splash pages – Splash pages, in order to grab the viewer’s attention, are rich in visual graphics and sound but have minimal text content. This is poor optimization for spiders when they crawl through your site. Therefore don’t use splash pages if you can help it.
Use internal linking – Include links that navigate to other areas of your website whenever the occasion presents itself. Structure them in such a way so that visitors will connect the dots and navigate from page to page because the contents are relevant to what they want and need. Internal links also give spiders a chance to investigate your website deeper and delve into more and more pages. Good internal linking: Every page should be less than 2 clicks away from your home page.
Text first, graphics second – Spiders pay attention to what’s placed on your webpage first. They look for words and give higher priority to words that appear near the top of the page. If you put too many images at the top of the page, the spiders may give a lower ranking for your webpage. Put images at the bottom and text on top for best effect. However, if you have a video, place it at the beginning, above-the-fold. Videos have proven to lengthen visitors’ staying time on your site, which can positively affect how Google judges your site.
Title tag is paramount – What you type here for the title tag will be the exact same words and phrases that appear in the title bar. More importantly, they also appear as the text for links for search engine results. When spiders enter your site, the first thing they are going to see is your title tag. Therefore, make sure that the words used in the title tag are related to the keywords for your SEO. Since each HTML or XHTML web page on your site requires a title tag, customize and optimize for each web page by using highly-targeted, focused keywords that are relevant to each. Use proper grammar and apply seperators such as commas and semicolons when writing text for title tags to make text structure easier to comprehend. While it’s very tempting to squeeze as many keywords into the title tag as possible, bear in mind that the content of the web page is also very important in determining SEO as well. You may end up with a long and rumbling web page that would have served SEO purposes better had it been split up into several web pages. Hence, it may be necessary to make two or more separate web pages so that the keywords and content are aligned in purpose and optimization is achieved.
Get linked – Much like how we humans have friends who exert more influence and popularity than others in a social network, the same can be pretty much said for websites who share a common background or network. Links are therefore the relationships that connect websites to each other. Similarly, one of the criteria search engines use to determine your placing on the page rankings is by looking at the quality of the links to your site. The more links to your site from other places on the Internet, called inbound links, the more esteem you have according to the eyes of the search engines. However, quality matters over quantity. To get quality inbound links, they must come from related and relevant websites that have high page rankings. Usually, these websites are perceived as the authoritative head by members of the relevant community and hence have great sway and prestige. Request the site owner for a link to your website politely and return the favour if accepted. It is also good marketing and business practise to provide links to these websites from your own. Finally, manage your links and discard those that link to non-existent web pages, or have not been updated in a long time.
Avoid bad apples – Just as you would do your best to get quality inbound links to your website, you have to be mindful of bad apples that could potentially ruin your page ranking standings by way of association. Websites that have a spotty reputation and that use unethical and sneaky means of getting visitors to their site or to increase their page rankings are definitely to be avoided at all costs. Some of the methods these websites employ include:
Duplicitous content
Spamming
Keyword stuffing
Violating copyright laws
Link farming
Doorway pages
Installation of software without the user’s permission or knowledge
Likewise, refrain from the above practices or you will find yourself losing more than just your page ranking standings. Check the background of sites that you are linking to, and that are going to be linked to you. Link only to contextually relevant websites with a solid, proven background and reputation. At the same time, constantly update your website with original content and observe ethical business practices so that your website is beyond reproach, which in turn means more quality inbound links.
Avoid farming – You may have come across web pages where the only thing you can see is a sea of links, with minimal or no useful content whatsoever. These are link farms, which exist solely to stuff the site with as many links as possible to boost their visibility to spiders and searchers alike. This is a deceptive practise and all search engines frown heavily on this kind of link stuffing. That’s why it is very important that when you create outbound links to other websites, make very certain that those websites share a contextual relevance with your own and harness only good quality links. When considering whether to link to a site, check the website and especially take note of the content of the website. If the contents appear to be irrelevant to what the website is purported to be about, or if the contents seem to be duplicated or otherwise dubious, then it is best not to link to that site. Also, see if there is some contact information on the website. You have the right to be highly suspicious if the web site provides no contact information of any kind. As always, exercise caution and due diligence when you want to consider outsourcing and hire the services of search engine optimizers who promise you thousands and thousands of quality links to boost your page rankings in no time flat. There is a high chance that the person is using unscrupulous methods to get those links such as software- generated link farming.
Avoid keyword stuffing – Keyword stuffing is the practise of overloading web page content or its meta tags with keywords for the purpose of increasing search visibility and page ranking. Some ingenious technics used back in the day include hiding text in the background by blending them together in the same color and using cascading style sheets (CSS) positioning. It goes without saying that search engines have clamped down hard on this method and it is now no longer effective in SEO. However, there are still black hat SEOs out there who want to outsmart the system and still employ keyword stuffing albeit in a different form. These now include:
Gibberish
Tiny text (to maximize page space for keyword stuffing)
Duplicating the content
Hiding text
Be sure to write content that is geared for the end users rather than for the system to increase your page ranking. A world of good can only come if you constantly provide quality content.
robots.txt. Robots.txt files are essentially barriers that prevent spiders and other search crawlers from accessing a particular web page. For example, if your website has web pages with duplicate content or sensitive information, you will want to include a robots.txt to these pages so that they don’t get indexed and appear on search engines. The common format is:User-Agent: [Spider or Bot name] Disallow: [Directory or file name]Simply open notepad or another text editor and enter the lines of text. One of the foremost reasons for using a robots.txt file is to protect privacy and to block out certain sections of a website that have no relevancy to its primary uses and functions. Take note that robots.txt files are not a complete safeguard against intrusion of privacy, however. Always take safety precautions and build smart website structures and hierarchies to minimize risk.
What to look for in an SEO Company – There are many different kinds of SEOs out there, and with the increasing sophistication and diversity of both search engine optimization and Internet devices, you should pick an SEO company that would best suit your needs, aims and objectives. Check the credentials of the SEO and make sure that he walks the talk, so to speak. Speak with clients whom the SEO company has worked with before and determine what methods he employs to optimize page rankings. To get a better understanding of the SEO:
Request the SEO company’s portfolio of work and testimonials
Past experience and current outlook about SEO company
Clients and referrals
Value-added services, if any
Affiliations and associations that the SEO company is a member of
Practices and methods used
Fees and charges
The expected duties of SEO companies today also encompass the areas of site traffic, link and network building and helping increase conversion rates. Consult with the SEO company about the services offered and how that would best fit in with your overall strategy. Make sure to discuss the following points with your SEO company and improvise and adjust as necessary as the project progresses:
Site coding, structure and hierarchy
Optimization by media platform
Keyword and phrase research
Content development
Linking and networking strategy
Ongoing monitoring and rank reporting
Avoid instant quick fix offers and solutions that “guarantee” instant high page rankings or other such dubious claims. Some SEO companies may indeed give you fast short term gains but with awful long term consequences. Don’t get scammed and if an offer seems too good to be true, it usually is. Generally, stay away from black hat practices and work hard and diligently at ethical, legal SEO methods and the results will come.
Search is getting more personalized – The major search engines are already offering users and searchers many options and choices for narrowing down their searches so that they can get to what they want quickly and efficiently. Many other factors are also playing havoc with the concept of being ranked highly in the search engines, particularly now that search engines are getting more and more personalized and detailed in their search criteria offerings. Depending on region, personal details, language, filters and preferences, what may be a number one ranking for a particular query may not even appear at all for another similar search. What this means for SEO is that SEO is never a one-and-done deal; it is an organic process that continues to evolve and adapt to externally changing situations and circumstances so that a particular site will remain high in its rankings.
User generated content (UGC) – User generated content, also known as user created content (UCC) are publicly available media content that are created by end In the world of SEO, they are a major force to be reckoned with as they increase visibility and spread awareness of a brand or website. Examples of UGC include reviews and testimonials. You may have already seen reviews done by your friends or family on a product and may have even done some reviewing of your own. Some UGC may link back to your website, while others may provide quality content about it. It is good practise to create and foster an online community where users get to trade information and opinions with one another so that you can maximize your site’s exposure and increase its page rank through content creation and keyword generation on the community’s part. However, the community must be genuine and be free from outside interference, even your own. Moderation is practical so long as it deals with abuses and other infractions that would harm the community. Encourage user participation on your website by having contests and other such events so that more UGC is created. Lastly, keep in mind that UGC such as reviews can be either positive or negative. You cannot satisfy everyone 100%, but know that the good outweigh the bad by far when it comes to user created content for SEO.
Google Sandbox Effect – Many falsely refer to the Google sandbox effect as either their website being delisted or listed under supplemental results. Sandbox merely means Google is testing the ranking, nothing bad about that. However, getting delisted is a problem, while getting into supplemental index is another case. The real sandbox is the one that new domains are indexed to. For Google to determine a new domain’s ranking, they will place the new domain a little bit higher on the search rankings so that more visitors will go to it initially. Google can then profile the web site’s visitor response, from which Google will be able to determine the correct placement of the website. Usually, new domains will experience high ranking on the early stages, and then suddenly experience a drop. This is because the early ranking was only temporary and Google has since determined that the site does not deserve a high ranking, hence dropping it. We also have cases where google decided that the site deserved a higher ranking and got pushed further up. This is the true sandbox.The sandbox fear that says too much backlinks will hurt a site is just a rumor. It was true somewhere back in 2006 to 2007. Back then, SEO firms exploited this and started spamming competitors’ site with thousands of backlinks a day to see them drop dramatically in the rankings. After that, Google decided that off-page linkbuilding will not affect your ranking. Google has even publicly confirmed that off-page linkbuilding will NOT affect ranking anymore: https://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=34449
Duplicate content is fine (wait, what?) – This may sound ridiculous. You know that Google penalizes websites for duplicating content. Actually, this is true only if you duplicate content within your own domain. For example, if you have the same content on both www.domain.com/ page1.html and www.domain.com/page2.html, then Google is going to penalize you. However, if the same content were to appear on two (or more) different domains, such as www.hisdomain.com/page1.html and www.herdomain.com/page1.html, then Google will treat the content as if it were unique and not penalize either site. This only makes sense as articles, press releases and other content do get copied and duplicated over many different web sites. What this means is that you can submit the same content to as many sites as you want, for example submitting the same article to dozens of article directories, without fear of being penalized or downranked. Bear in mind that Google will be placing excessive duplicated content in their supplemental index, which means, duplicates won’t really show up in search results. It is still a useful practice to submit the same content to as many relevant sites as possible so it gains maximum exposure to readers and Internet users. These readers may very well link to your original site from their own blogs, web pages or sites and therefore increase traffic and the number of backlinks to your site.More on duplicated content and getting flushed into supplemental index: Most of the time, duplicate results are shown in a supplemental index (that means, not displayed). Google has a problem determining who is the original and who is the duplicate. This can happen if someone else copied your content and Google actually thinks the other person is the original and you are the duplicate. However, there is still a way to let Google know who is the original. For example, you have the same article on your site and on 1,000 article directories. The best way to tell Google you are the original is to have the 1,000 sites point a link back to your site. This is the same as academic referencing where 1,000 sites referenced your site. Therefore, this tells Google your site is the original source. Also, since 1,000 other sites referenced your site, it makes Google think that the content is quite important and hence, rank better. If your content has been copied and Google mistakenly puts you in the supplemental index, what you can do is to change your content afresh and make a press release. This way, you have unique content and the press release will bring the spiders back to your site so Google can re-cache your site. This often rescues a site from getting binned in the supplemental index.
Many of us have heard this information before, but it never hurts to review the basics of SEO.
On-Site Optimization
Once you’ve chosen your keywords, your next goal is to optimize your web pages and content for those keywords. To do this, you will want to make sure the main keyword phrase for each page appears in the following places.
The SEO Title
Websites that have been properly optimized usually have their main keywords in the title of the page. This is the most important on-site optimization element. Not only that, but it shows up in search results, in the tab when someone is viewing a particular page, in the bookmark when people save your page on their browser, and in the social share of the page if they tweet it, like it, or bookmark it online. In short, it’s seen just about everywhere that page is referenced.
The URL
If possible, make sure that your website’s URL structure uses your keywords. For example, your web design services page should be yourdomain.com/web-design-services and not yourdomain.com/p=1139.
The Meta Description
While this isn’t as important as far as ranking for your keyword phrase, it does show up in almost as many places as the SEO title, which makes it important regardless.
The Content
You don’t want to go overboard and mention your main keyword phrase in a way that seems unnatural. But you do want to make sure the content on your page represents the main keyword phrase and is mentioned within it. At bare minimum, it should be in the opening paragraph on a page. Also, try to use it in a header tag (like H2, H3 tags).
The Image ALT Tag
If you have an image on your page (and you should), include the main keyword in the image’s ALT tag. So if you have a photo of yourself on the homepage, ALT tag the photo with your name + your keyword like John Smith, Freelance Web Designer.
Proper on-site optimization will tell search engines what each page is about, and help ensure that they earn better rankings for those keywords. Also, be sure to consider on-site optimization for your social media profiles. Primarily, you will want to add your main keyword phrase to your social profile’s about section, introduction, or bio. Also try to use your main keyword phrases naturally in status updates. Both will help more people discover your business through social media.
Tips to Avoid Search Engine Penalties
Don’t over-optimize on your website or your social media profiles. The most common form of over-optimization is keyword stuffing, or using your keyword phrase an unnatural amount of times on a page. This is generally frowned upon by Google and could hurt your search rankings if discovered by Google’s algorithm changes.
Local Search Optimization
If your business has a local focus, such as a physical location that customers visit or offers services within a specific area, you will also want to optimize your website for that location. Go back to your keyword research and see what locations you can optimize your pages for.
There is a lot to learn when it comes to SEO, but these are the basics that will help you get going in the right direction, or at least help you make sure you are paying for good service.
When showing prospective buyers what your business is about, you’ll find strategic branding to be your most efficient tool. Marketing materials, which communicate verbally, and design symbols, which act visually, reflect your brand. But bear in mind branding isn’t about winning your customers’ business. The true essence of smart branding lies in becoming the very best solution to a problem.
Setting yourself apart from your competition requires you to utilize your strategic branding. To create a most effective brand, think about what it is you could offer a specific demographic. Be sure to use phrasing and images which represent your business to your market, thus furthering your brand. You could communicate a clear message through your branding.
Evoking trust from your niche buyers is about having strong strategic branding. This can likely mean a positive response to things like ads, email messages, and newsletters. Once people feel they’re in the position to trust your business and brand, they will probably be more likely to respond positively to your ads.
Consistency in Strategic Branding is Key
Keep your business consistent and focused on your ongoing strategic branding efforts. Your branding should consistently transcend product offerings, messages and audience appeal. Your business could be completely enhanced by long-term smart branding efforts. It will also help you to establish and maintain a following of loyal buyers.
A strong brand will likely be invaluable to the success of your business. Take your time and thoroughly research, focus, and develop an effective brand. Never forget that your brand is possibly the initial promise you make to your clients. It’s a central part of your promotional efforts, and not something you really want to be caught without.
Clients enjoy sharing their favorite brands with others. People are always telling others about brands they like to buy; things they eat, wear and listen to. A brand you do not find memorable, however, just isn’t something you’ll tell others about. Encouraging viral traffic or referrals requires a strong brand.
It requires more than just a logo or trademark to develop a brand. Your company’s values, ethics, actions, culture and results are highlighted by its brand symbols. It’s now easier than ever for a small business to develop a brand and popularize it among the masses. There’s no need for small companies to spend lots of cash on strategic branding due to the Internet and social networking.
Honesty and Sincerity in Business Marketing
If you are honest and sincere about the strategic branding process, you’ll have success. You shouldn’t be surprised if business marketing campaigns do not succeed in portraying your company as ethical and honest if you use pirated software or commit other less than desirable acts. Ensure the way you work lines up with what you claim. Business reputations are hard to rehabilitate once destroyed.
Strategic branding could establish you as an authority in your niche if approached in the right manner. Communicate key messages to your core audience, and clarify your unique marketing position. You could increase the feeling of inclusion through a strategic use of phrases or imagery. Be sure they know that your business exists to fulfill their needs.
How many emails or phone calls do you receive from SEO companies claiming to get your website on top?
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Many SEO companies claim to get your website at the top of search engine rankings, but every SEO company has a different pricing model. Some charge hourly while others charge per project. Many even have monthly retainers, and there are a few who also claim to charge on a “pay per performance” model. Choosing the right SEO company is a tough call. So how do you compare different SEO agencies with different pricing models?
To make your task easier, we came up with 10 crucial questions to ask your SEO vendors. The answers to these questions will help you select the SEO company that is the right fit for your business.
What you’ll learn in next 15 minutes:
How to search and short list good SEO companies
10 crucial points to consider before you hire an SEO company
Conclusion
Search keywords like SEO service, SEO companies, and SEO services along with your city name to find SEO companies. Do not restrict yourself to just organic rankings, but look at paid listings also.
Criteria for short listing SEO vendors:
Quality Content – Check the vendor’s website content
Quality Blogs – Review the SEO company’s blog to ensure they stay up to date on the latest changes in SEO
About Us – Verify that their about page explains who they are and lists their domain experience
Trust and Credibility – Look for certifications from Google Adwords and Microsoft Bing and verify whether or not they are members of industry organizations like SEMPO (Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization)
Pricing – Although hourly rates and monthly retainers are common, 70% of all SEO agencies offer fixed-project pricing. We highly recommended fixed-pricing models, because they help you avoid surprise fees.
Myth – The Highest Ranking SEO Companies Must Be The Best Ones
This is not at all the case. Actually, most of the great SEO companies I know are referral only and their websites are very basic. They put their efforts into ranking their clients, not their own stuff.
– Rand Fishkin, From Seomoz.com
1) Ask Them What SEO Strategy They Will Implement On Your Website
Many companies focus only on link building. This approach is lazy and avoids making necessary changes to website code and copy (apart from changing meta tags).
Here is a basic check list:
Keyword and keyword phrase selection
Creation of quality content
Link building campaign including social bookmarking
Uniqueness of meta tags
Use of sitemaps
Avoid companies that advocate reciprocal linking, because it’s a clear indication that the SEO company is using outdated SEO tactics.
2) Ask About Their Social Strategy For SEO?
Statistically, every 10th person in this world has an account on Facebook, and over 34% of marketers generate leads using Twitter. But Google’s introduction of Search Plus Your World in early 2012 has been a game changer for SEO. Your SEO vendor should have a Strategy for Google Search Plus Your World as part of their SEO campaign. Ask if they include:
Installing Google +1 button on your website
Creating a Google Plus Brand Page for your business
Outreach to prominent Google Plus one users in your industry and vote requests for your website
Remember, Social Signals are clearly replacing link signals and will only gain more importance.
3) Is Google Places Listing A Part Of Their SEO Strategy?
If your business is local, Google Places is very important for the survival of your business. Does your SEO vendor include Google places optimization as part of its SEO deliverables?
You should look out for these deliverables:
Submitting your business to Google Places
Enhancing your Places profile by adding images, videos
Not having Google Places in your SEO plan would mean losing visibility and business from your Local County/ City. Google Places should be part of default SEO plan and not be an added feature.
4) What is their Article Marketing Strategy?
Writing articles and submitting them to various article submission sites is a good way to get traffic and backlinks. However, many SEO companies (and freelancers) submit the same article to multiple article websites. This results in content duplication, attracting a penalty from Google. One of the biggest Google updates, Panda, penalized lots of sites for either having duplicate content or having content with no meaning.
Some vendors also use software to create multiple variations of the same article and then submit it to different sites. While this might produce results for a short time, you will end up with nonsensical content. And there is always the possibility that Google will ban your website.
Most of the emails you get in your inbox claiming to submit your article to hundreds of article directories use such techniques, and they could get your website banned.
So how can you be sure your SEO vendor’s article marketing strategy won’t get you in trouble? Check their deliverables and see how many times they submitted the same article to different sites. If they create 10 articles and submit each article to more than 3 sites, it’s likely your ranking will suffer.
5) Do They Provide Guaranteed Rankings?
Many SEO companies use “Guaranteed Rankings And Traffic” catch phrase to lure in gullible buyers.
Avoid all SEO vendors who give you “guarantee” that your website will rank on first page of Google or Bing for specific keywords. Reputed SEO companies do not provide ranking guarantees as Google in particular is very much against the practice.
No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.
“Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a “special relationship” with Google, or advertise a “Priority Submit” to Google. There is no priority submit for Google.”
– Google SEO Guidelines
“From 1996 through to today, SEO scams have used “guaranteed rankings and traffic” as a slimy catchphrase to lure in gullible buyers with too-good-to-be-true promises. That association has stained the entire industry and repulsed even businesses that might consider using the “guarantee” label.”
– Rand Fishkin, From SEOmoz.com
6) What Kind Of Online Reporting & SEO Intelligence Tools Will You Get?
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Does the company provide you with a tracking system to keep track of the work they do and your website rankings?
Professional SEO companies provide an online dashboard for their clients. The dashboard should have data from independent, third party SEO intelligence tools like SEOMoz and MajesticSEO.
A dashboard that includes work reports, SEO intelligence data, and Google, Facebook and Twitter integration shows the professionalism and commitment of your vendor in providing professional SEO services.
7) Ask for a List of Past Success Stories / Case Studies / Testimonials & References
Your shortlisted SEO vendors should back up all their claims with a list of case studies as well as client testimonials or references.
Talking to these references will help you gain a better understanding of the SEO vendor’s reputation.
8) Who Will Make Changes To Your Website. You or The SEO Vendor?
Some SEO vendors offer an all-inclusive SEO package, which means they will also make actual changes on your website. Many others secretly charge extra for making changes to your website. Now, if your website is using some proprietary code or uncommon programming language, then it’s natural that doing those changes would cost you extra. But simple HTML changes to your website, WordPress and Joomla site updates, adding sitemaps, and installing Google Analytics code should not cost you extra.
Ask vendors to specify what changes are included in the SEO package. In either case, you should note the extra cost (if any).
9) How Long Has The SEO Vendor Been In Business?
This is a golden rule that applies to every business. There are no guarantees in this world, but any SEO company that has been in business for a minimum of 4 to 5 years has managed to cope with 2 or 3 major search engine algorithm changes. They are survivors, and that merits a certain amount of respect. Short list any vendors who have been in business for 4 years or more.
10) Clarify What Kind Of Support You Will Get
The kind of customer support you get is important. Ask the short listed vendors what types of client support they provide. Email, chat and phone support are the three major forms of customer service.
Conclusion
After you compare answers to these 10 questions from different SEO vendors, you will get a gut feeling about the SEO vendor that is the right fit for your business. If you are still unable to make a decision or have any follow-up questions, or want to know more about our SEO plans, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Contact us or call us at 281-816-6932 to get a free website analysis worth $200. Limited offer!
We are seeing a lot of changes in the world of mobile web design. The movement is pointing towards responsive rather than dedicated mobile websites.
Responsive mobile websites “resize” the desktop version of your website, so updates are automatic and your branding stays intact.
The resizing can potentially fit on ANY size screen, but primarily its built for desktops and tablets/smartphones.
Dedicated mobile versions are usually treated as an afterthought, something added in later after the site is already up. A proper responsive website is considered upfront (during concept, content, and design stages) rather than added in after the website is completed.
Responsive is a little more work, but it will save you a lot of hassle (aka time and money) down the road. Bottom line: You’re going to need one.
So now, a responsive mobile website is included with every custom website we develop.
If the price is a little higher than your average web guy punching out code from his house (or overseas), its because you are getting the best. You are getting future-proofed. You’re getting it done RIGHT the first time.
There are three basic questions that should be answered before trying to create your brand and marketing strategy. To get you started, here is a little bit of information that may send you down the best path:
The first question should be: What is a Brand?
A brand is more than a logo; a brand represents your company in a way that will be recognizable and relatable to your target audience. A brand is what makes a company memorable — customers and clients associate the service and quality of a company with the image that represents your company.
The next question will be: What do I use the Brand for?
Your brand is how your company is portrayed to your audience. All of your marketing should be cohesive in your message. Whether you’re focusing on being dependable or on having the fastest response times in the state, you must use a marketing strategy that will portray this message across the board. This allows your audience to understand what your company stands for while also easily recognizing your brand in different marketing arenas.
The last question is: How does my Marketing Strategy promote my Brand?
This becomes a mixture of creating innovative, memorable ads and marketing campaigns and providing top notch service that gives your customers or clients a reason to want to remember your brand. Once they have a reason to remember, providing them with the right graphics and well-placed advertising makes it simple to remember and easier to recommend.
Give us a call if you’re interested in marketing your brand to become more recognizable to your target audience and how you can grow your client base with some simple graphic and marketing changes.
With over 4 billion mobile devices in use worldwide, smartphones are now commonplace. As the technology behind the phones continues to develop, consumers are browsing the internet more often on their phones than on their desktop computers.
People can use their phones to access websites, transfer money, and buy products online. As this shift in buying patterns continues, it’s becoming necessary for businesses to create a mobile optimized version of their website.
By providing customers with an easy and accessible way to connect with your business from anywhere and at any time, you’re making certain you’re not missing out on potential customers who might find your site via a mobile device.
What Is A Mobile Website?
All standard websites can be accessed via a smartphone, but mobile websites are specifically designed to suit the device’s small screen, slow speed, and limited functions. Mobile sites show users exactly the same vital information, but in a way that it is easier and faster to navigate. By creating a mobile website for your business, you will be able to make the most of the new advertising opportunities that this technology offers.
Since the iPhone was first introduced in 2007, the number of people using smartphones has continued to increase. Studies show that since mid-2011 the average person now spends longer on their phone than they do on their PC. As a result, a more specialized mobile marketplace has emerged. A mobile website differs from a standard website in a number of ways:
– Pages are more compact so that they are easily viewable on a smaller screen
– Websites load faster to suit limited smartphone capability
– All data is simplified to make it easy to negotiate
– Flash and other multimedia elements that are not compatible with all mobile devices are avoided
How To Create A Successful Mobile Optimized Website
A typical user spends an average of 77 minutes per day on their smartphone, so creating a well-designed, mobile optimized website can boost your business’s online visibility and yield significant results.
Here are just a few features that a successful mobile website should include:
Simple layout
The most important difference between a mobile site and a standard site is the way that it is laid out. Your website needs to be easy to read on a much smaller screen. The key design aim is to prevent the user getting lost in navigation. Here are just a couple of changes that should be made:
– Cut out all non-vital information
– Limit the number of categories you have
– Reduce the number of links per page
– Prioritize links in order of popularity and importance
– Avoid using forms or tables
Fast download speeds
The larger the data size of a page, the longer it will take to load. This is true of every website, but keeping data size low is particularly important in those designed for smartphones. If your website is slow to load, users can quickly get frustrated and move onto other sites. The more pages they are able to view in a set time, the more likely they are to see something they want to buy.
Integrate with map
A wide range of mapping functions can be included as part of a mobile website. The technology is able to alert a customer when they are close to your premises or navigate them directly to it. This feature is particularly useful for small and local businesses which often go unnoticed when standing next to larger chain stores.
Connect with offline media
Smartphones are carried with people wherever they go, so the devices have an unprecedented ability to connect online and offline forms of advertising. QR codes are scanned by a phone’s camera and will connect the web browser to a specific webpage, such as a landing page or buying page. The code can be added to magazines, posters, brochures, and any other form of print advertisement.
The Results You Can Expect From A Mobile Website
By creating a mobile optimized version of your website, you can increase your sales, boost your visibility, and make a positive difference to your business’s image. Here are just a few of the possible advantages:
Higher Google ranking
The higher up that a website appears in search engine results, the more likely it is to be visited by customers. This is especially true of the mobile internet because scrolling through results on a smartphone can be difficult. Search engines like Google are able to recognize when a person is using a smartphone and will feature mobile optimized websites higher in their search results. Your easy-to-read site will have an automatic advantage over your less up-to-date competitors.
Positive customer experience
Once a customer enters your site it is important that they have an enjoyable experience. If a webpage is difficult to read, then a user looking for specific information will simply move onto a more suitable site. By having a clear and concise layout, you can ensure that each visit creates a positive impression of your business.
More sales
Expanding your website to meet the needs of the mobile market is an ideal way drive up your profits. Making the buying process as simple as possible and reducing the number of steps it takes to get from landing page to purchase is key in maximizing sales.
A better brand image
Having a user-friendly, mobile optimized web page will give your business a contemporary, technology aware image. As mobile websites continue to become a mainstream reality, businesses without them are being left behind.
How To Get Started With a Mobile Website
Creating a mobile website opens your business up to a huge marketplace that is continuing to grow. However, without extensive online marketing knowledge, developing a successful mobile website design and overall advertising strategy can be almost impossible. Awkward navigation, convoluted design, and unnecessary graphics can all frustrate and put off potential customers.
If you are looking for an easier way to make the most of this emerging technology, an online marketing specialist can help you to create and manage your mobile website. Hiring the services of a professional will not only save you time and money in the long run, but it can also give you peace of mind that your website will be a success.
Any business, whether a Fortune 500 company or a local mom and pop store, can suffer from bad publicity. With the amount of activity on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, one person’s complaint about a particular aspect of your business can quickly turn into an avalanche of negative feedback if not handled properly. Worse still, handling the initial negative comment or comments incorrectly can have an even more damaging effect on your business and its image.
All it takes is one bad response to a negative review to start an ugly argument; the result being that poor response can tarnish your business’ reputation for a long time. When you respond badly to a negative review, your response won’t just be read by the initial reviewer. What you say can and likely will be read by everyone who reads your reviews or looks for your feed, whether it’s on Google, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, or any other platform. It also shows that you can’t take criticism gracefully, and no one wants to do business with someone if they fear backlash from giving an honest review that is less than five stars.
What’s the proper way to respond to a negative review?
Regardless of how good your products and services may be, at some point, someone is going to feel like they got short changed. It’s just a fact of business. Twenty years ago, it may have resulted in an angry call or letter, but these days, an angry customer has the power to create a wave of distrust or fear with a few well-placed reviews. Take these steps to help prevent further damage:
Respond positively. Acknowledge that the negative reviewer was unhappy with some aspect of your service or product. Avoid becoming defensive – whether you were in the wrong or not, it automatically makes you look like you were if you take a defensive tone. Rather, be engaging, humble, and willing to listen.
Take it offline. Eliminate the possibility of a negative online discussion by asking the person to call your business directly so that you can discuss and remedy the issue in person. Not only will the customer feel as if you’re taking the time to right what they felt was wrong, but it also shows readers (potential clients) that you can respond appropriately, that you care enough to try to fix the issue, and that you’re willing to grow from the feedback.
Offer to make it better. There exists what Terry College of Business professors Michael McCollough and Sundar Bharadwaj call the service recovery paradox, which is the result of a very positive service recovery, causing a level of customer satisfaction and/or customer loyalty even greater than that expected if no service failure had happened. If you can manage to help your negative reviewer feel as though the wrong was righted and gain back their business, it is possible to recover from a negative review.
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses across various sectors are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance their customer engagement and lead generation strategies. One transformative solution that has emerged is the use of custom chatbots. These AI-driven assistants are not just a technological novelty; they are a versatile tool capable of revolutionizing how businesses interact with potential customers.
For e-commerce platforms, chatbots can be a game-changer. Imagine a virtual assistant on your website, available 24/7, guiding visitors through your product range, offering personalized recommendations based on their browsing history or preferences, and even assisting them through the checkout process. This not only enhances the shopping experience but also captures valuable customer information, turning casual browsers into potential leads.
In the real estate industry, chatbots can take customer service to a new level. Prospective buyers and renters often have numerous questions about properties. A chatbot can provide instant answers to common queries, schedule viewings, and even collect contact details for follow-up, thereby nurturing leads efficiently without any human intervention.
For those in professional services like law, finance, or consulting, chatbots can serve as the first point of contact. They can assess a visitor’s needs, schedule appointments, and gather preliminary information for the service provider. This pre-qualification process ensures that professionals spend their time engaging with the most promising leads.
The healthcare sector can also leverage chatbots effectively. These AI tools can help schedule appointments, offer basic health advice, and even remind patients of upcoming visits or medication schedules. This not only improves patient engagement but also captures new patient inquiries, streamlining the process for both the patient and the healthcare provider.
In the education sector, chatbots can provide immediate responses to student inquiries, assist with course selection, and offer information on admission procedures. This immediate engagement can be crucial in capturing the interest of prospective students and guiding them through the enrollment process.
Even local businesses such as restaurants or salons can benefit from chatbots. These virtual assistants can manage reservations, answer FAQs about services or menu items, and gather contact details for promotional purposes. This enhances customer service and creates a database of potential repeat customers.
Lastly, for businesses in the entertainment and events industry, chatbots can handle ticket bookings, provide event information, and even offer personalized recommendations based on user preferences. This not only boosts ticket sales but also improves the overall customer experience.
In conclusion, custom chatbots represent a powerful tool for businesses looking to enhance their lead generation and customer engagement strategies. By providing immediate, personalized, and efficient service, chatbots can help businesses across various sectors not only capture but also nurture leads more effectively. The future of customer interaction is here, and it’s conversational!
Stay ahead of the curve by integrating custom chatbots into your business strategy today!
Background: Recently, a mid-sized medical clinic, faced challenges in attracting new patients and managing appointments efficiently. Their existing website was outdated, not user-friendly, and lacked essential features for effective online engagement. Recognizing these issues, they partnered with Big Splash Web Design to develop a custom website that could meet their growing needs.
Challenge: Their primary challenges included:
Low online visibility leading to inadequate lead generation.
An inefficient appointment booking system causing operational bottlenecks.
A lack of engaging content and interactivity to keep potential patients interested.
Solution: Big Splash Web Design approached these challenges with a multi-faceted strategy:
Custom Website Design: The team developed a visually appealing, easy-to-navigate website. The design was optimized for both desktop and mobile users, ensuring accessibility for all potential patients.
SEO Optimization: To increase online visibility, the website was optimized for search engines with relevant keywords, quality content, and a strong backlink profile.
Integrated Booking System: An easy-to-use, online appointment booking system was integrated, allowing patients to schedule appointments 24/7.
Content Strategy: Engaging and informative content was created, including health blogs, patient testimonials, and an FAQ section, enhancing user engagement and trust.
Analytics and Tracking: The website was equipped with advanced analytics to track user behavior, providing insights for continuous improvement.
Results: Within six months of launching the new website, the medical practice observed significant improvements:
Increased Leads: Website traffic increased by 73%, with a 41% increase in new user visits.
Higher Conversion Rate: Online appointment bookings rose by 47%, directly attributing to the streamlined booking system.
Improved Patient Engagement: Time spent on the website increased by 30%, indicating higher engagement with the content.
Operational Efficiency: The integrated booking system reduced administrative workload by around 25%, allowing staff to focus on patient care.
Conclusion: The collaboration with Big Splash Web Design proved to be a pivotal step for this medical practice. The custom website not only enhanced their online presence but also streamlined their operations, resulting in increased leads, appointments, and improved patient satisfaction. This case study demonstrates how a well-designed website, coupled with an effective digital strategy, can transform the way medical practices interact with and serve their patients.
SEO from the beginning – You should incorporate SEO planning into your website project right from the start. Many builders opt for the “build first, ask later” approach and inevitably get fried as a result. Don’t be like the entrepreneur who spent thousands on a marketing and advertising campaign around his new website’s launch which was built entirely using Flash. Save yourself time and money by making SEO a priority right from the beginning which will influence the way the design, layout and content of the website is built and placed. Constantly meet with the SEO project team to ensure that all site elements are addressed, such as tags, links, content, site architecture, URL, code and redirects. SEO matters should always be considered from the website planning and development stage all the way to the maintenance phase, and beyond. Things to take note of:
Flash-type websites are not good for SEO because Google’s spiders can’t read flash.
Websites full of graphics and little text cannot rank well, as spiders can’t see images.
Focus on building text-based content. The longer and more useful information there is, the merrier.
Focus on having only one main keyword per web page.
Use the right keywords – Sounds easy? Picking the right keywords to use requires a thorough understanding of what words and phrases your target audience is likely to use when entering search queries and a strong research effort to optimize said words. Stand in their shoes and determine what words they are going to enter to find your website and web pages. Don’t use technical and sophisticated terms; searchers don’t understand what they mean and won’t bother inputting them to find what they want. Instead use layman terms. As mentioned, use phrases that narrow down the focus and attract your intended target audience. Devise a list of words that you think are relevant to your website, and then use keyword research tools to further refine and whittle down the list. Take the following into consideration when deliberating on the choice of keywords:
Strong relevancy for which you can create content to support and build on.
Low number of search results and small competition.
Popular terms that many people use and, hence, a high search volume.
Conduct careful research to find the right balance. You do not want keywords that are so generic that you will have a hard time getting into the rankings (let alone finding your target audience) and yet you also do not want them to be too narrow and specific that no one will search for them. Also, consider the following once the keywords have been chosen:
For best results, each web page should have 1 main keyword and 4 related keywords at most.
Support your keywords with relevant text and content, and all of this information should be placed high up on the web page, at the very beginning of the body of content.
Be sure to include keywords in the following elements: navigation links, headings, all tags (title, description, and meta), and alt text.
Keep the keyword list updated and anticipate cyclical changes when keywords will evolve to suit a particular event or circumstance. Store keywords into an inventory and constantly run keyword research tools on them to see what’s hot and what’s not at any given moment. As your website grows and evolves along with customer needs and wants, so too will your keyword list grow in tandem.
Do not go overboard and saturate your web pages with keywords, hoping to rank high on search engine rankings this way. You may find yourself pushed lower instead. In SEO, keyword density means the percentage of times a particular keyword appears on a webpage compared to the total number of words in that webpage. Spiders that crawl and detect a high keyword density may conclude that you are merely padding your webpage with that keyword (keyword stuffing) to try to attract traffic and they may penalize you by downgrading your search engine ranking based on that keyword. A general rule of thumb is to keep the keyword density around 2 to 4 percent in body content. This is the best range from our experience.
Targeted, directed traffic over mass traffic – Your SEO efforts should be about getting qualified traffic, traffic that matters. Fact is, general visitors to your site are going to spend just a little amount of time on your website. Targeted visitors are going to see if your site really has what they want, what they need. A sound SEO plan will answer the visitor’s query and attend to his needs as soon as he arrives at the website, such as through optimised content management whereby rich, relevant information such as articles and links are strategically placed on the body of the page.
Every page on your website is an access point – Remember: Google ranks pages, not domains. Gone are the days when the website’s homepage served as the primary access point from which visitors examine and navigate the rest of the website. SEO has flung wide the doors of opportunity and now searchers can be directed to their destinations without having to navigate through a primary homepage. Indeed, they can land anywhere on your website as long as it pertains to what they are seeking. Smart online business owners will know that the importance of SEO is not limited to just the traditional homepage of the website, but every page has the potential to attract potential customers and be the setting point from which they further explore their website. Hence, be sure to address potential customer needs and wants by having clear, easy site navigation, well written site content that tells the visitor which part of the site they are on and where to go to further their queries within the site, an internal search tool, comparable listings, and site anchors. Every web page should have a clear main keyword, appropriate meta tags, descriptions, page titles and qualified content so that they go with your targeted audience’s queries and needs when they search online and navigate to your webpage.
Content, Content, Content – At its heart SEO is about the proper usage of words, words and words. Clear, easy to understand content that informs and answers the queries and questions of searchers will attract traffic. Most importantly, good and relevant content can retain traffic. Whether you like it or not, Google is extremely good at tracking visitor behavior. If a site’s visitors show satisfaction, then Google will reward that site with better ranking, since it means that the search results displayed is very relevant to what the searchers want. It will also give spiders a lucid idea of what your site is about and what it aims to achieve. Be sure to observe proper grammar and spelling, proper placement and usage of keywords and phrases, and the content must be fresh, up to date and be presented in short, easily readable paragraphs. You don’t have to do all the writing by yourself. Make use of user generated content such as reviews, feedbacks, news feeds and research reports to bolster your existing content.
Your image is at stake – Do a quick search on Google and see what results you get when you enter your business’ name, your name, your employee’s name, the nature of your business, and other queries related to your online business. You may be surprised to find that there are negative things said about you out there. Worst, it could be very first thing you see on the first page. It might be negative content that has since lost its relevancy as time goes by. It might have been a fault about your product that your business has since corrected. However, just by sitting there on the first spot of search engine rankings today, it’s going to give searchers and your audience a negative perception about you right off the bat. What’s an online business to do? Engage SEO and make sure that you optimize your web site’s on-page and off-page leverage so it gets to, and stays, at the top, knocking off the bad press pages. Marketing and branding wise, be smart and generate useful content to project a positive image. Engage your viewers, both good and bad, to see what needs to be done. Have constant, frequent dialogue with bloggers, customers and online communities. Spread good things about your online business that you know will set tongues wagging (and fingers clicking) on the Internet, such as contributions to noble causes and charitable donations. Good image helps branding, which in turn builds word of mouth on the Internet, which translates to more backlinking to your web site. Others will pick up the good news and create their own positive content about your online business. Over time, quite simply, the good content is going to grow and grow, meaning more free backlinks!
Whenever you can, be specific – Use keywords and phrases instead of Don’t use “we”, “us”, “our”, for example. Spiders aren’t going to understand what those terms are referring to. Instead, use terms like “ABC corporation” whenever you can.
Place the keywords and phrases at the beginning of the content – Spiders allocate more value to words and phrases that are placed near the top of the content, especially the first 100 They may read the entire content from top to bottom, or they may not. Similarly, your visitors may read the entire content from beginning to end, but they aren’t likely to read all of it if the first few sentences don’t have the keywords or phrases that will anchor their attention to your webpage. Present yourself clearly and effectively from the beginning.
Use keywords and phrases as often as possible – Just don’t go overboard and place words and phrases for the sake of spider crawling alone. Be intelligent and creative in how you present your content. Keep in mind the content is for your target market, not for the spiders. Before starting to write, research the keywords and phrases that are relevant to what you are doing and that will accomplish your goals, and make sure that they match precisely what your intended target audience will be entering into their search engine queries.
Use semantically related words – To take advantage of latent semantic indexing, use words and phrases that are related to your main keyword or phrase and include them into your web page. Search engines give more priority and rank higher those pages that back up their keywords with related terms. For example, if your website is about computers, use related terms like PC, hardware, software, laptop, desktop, computers, computing, mouse, monitors, hard drive, motherboard, processor, and so forth, throughout your whole website.
Observe differing versions of keywords and phrases – Consider the plural and singular form for words and phrases. Ascertain the way searchers enter the query words if they have various spelling forms (digicam, digital camera). Be consistent about the way you enter keywords and phrases into your web page. Use only one form of spelling for one particular web page. So, as an example, you can use the term “digital camera” as the main keyword for one web page, and its variant term “digicam” as the main keyword for another page. Doing this also helps you rank for multiple keywords.
Use phrases over single keywords – Searchers are more likely to enter phrases than keywords into search boxes to narrow down their search results and be more specific in finding what they want. “Computer” is too generic as a keyword. Searchers may instead enter “Dell studio 450”. In this case, you want to have a page that targets this keyword. Use relevant phrases that will direct your target audience to your web pages.
Don’t use images if you can write it instead – Spiders read and interpret text and cannot decipher images. If you can write it out, then do so. If you want to put in images, at least make sure to tag and label them accordingly along with a proper caption. A description below the image to tell what the image is about works very well.
Proper grammar and spelling – Proofread and edit your content frequently to catch spelling mistakes and grammar errors. It does no good if you spell your keywords wrongly and searchers aren’t going to find your website on the search engines. Whenever your website is updated with new content, make sure they are properly proofread. The exception to the rule is, if you are targeting misspelled keywords, you probably want to “intentionally” misspell the words so you can rank for the misspelled keyword.
Snippets are important – A snippet is the short text that accompanies every search engine result. These are added as a meta-description on your pages. They are important in drawing searchers to your site since they can be used to encapsulate what your website/web page is about. Write a unique description meta tag for every web page that you have so that searchers get a clear understanding of what you offer on your site. Snippets are gaining more importance nowadays as Google is tracking the click-through rates of search results listings. If you are ranked #7 yet you have a better click-through rate and retention rate than listing #5, you are probably going to rank higher very soon.
Don’t use Flash – Spiders don’t read Flash. If you really must, create another HTML site to complement your Flash site. Flash sites may be flashy and look very cool and modern, but when it comes to SEO they might as well not exist.
Don’t duplicate your content – Spiders don’t look too kindly on blocks of the same text and content that appear on multiple domains or pages of the same website. Vary your content from page to page, domain to domain. Use “nofollow” and “noindex” to block spiders from accessing the duplicates otherwise.
Create your website using clean, efficient coding – Avoid clunky, messy coding that will confuse spiders as they crawl through your website. Search engines like websites with clean, uniform, precise and efficient code that are more semantically defined and that comply with the latest Web standards.
Don’t use splash pages – Splash pages, in order to grab the viewer’s attention, are rich in visual graphics and sound but have minimal text content. This is poor optimization for spiders when they crawl through your site. Therefore don’t use splash pages if you can help it.
Use internal linking – Include links that navigate to other areas of your website whenever the occasion presents itself. Structure them in such a way so that visitors will connect the dots and navigate from page to page because the contents are relevant to what they want and need. Internal links also give spiders a chance to investigate your website deeper and delve into more and more pages. Good internal linking: Every page should be less than 2 clicks away from your home page.
Text first, graphics second – Spiders pay attention to what’s placed on your webpage first. They look for words and give higher priority to words that appear near the top of the page. If you put too many images at the top of the page, the spiders may give a lower ranking for your webpage. Put images at the bottom and text on top for best effect. However, if you have a video, place it at the beginning, above-the-fold. Videos have proven to lengthen visitors’ staying time on your site, which can positively affect how Google judges your site.
Title tag is paramount – What you type here for the title tag will be the exact same words and phrases that appear in the title bar. More importantly, they also appear as the text for links for search engine results. When spiders enter your site, the first thing they are going to see is your title tag. Therefore, make sure that the words used in the title tag are related to the keywords for your SEO. Since each HTML or XHTML web page on your site requires a title tag, customize and optimize for each web page by using highly-targeted, focused keywords that are relevant to each. Use proper grammar and apply seperators such as commas and semicolons when writing text for title tags to make text structure easier to comprehend. While it’s very tempting to squeeze as many keywords into the title tag as possible, bear in mind that the content of the web page is also very important in determining SEO as well. You may end up with a long and rumbling web page that would have served SEO purposes better had it been split up into several web pages. Hence, it may be necessary to make two or more separate web pages so that the keywords and content are aligned in purpose and optimization is achieved.
Get linked – Much like how we humans have friends who exert more influence and popularity than others in a social network, the same can be pretty much said for websites who share a common background or network. Links are therefore the relationships that connect websites to each other. Similarly, one of the criteria search engines use to determine your placing on the page rankings is by looking at the quality of the links to your site. The more links to your site from other places on the Internet, called inbound links, the more esteem you have according to the eyes of the search engines. However, quality matters over quantity. To get quality inbound links, they must come from related and relevant websites that have high page rankings. Usually, these websites are perceived as the authoritative head by members of the relevant community and hence have great sway and prestige. Request the site owner for a link to your website politely and return the favour if accepted. It is also good marketing and business practise to provide links to these websites from your own. Finally, manage your links and discard those that link to non-existent web pages, or have not been updated in a long time.
Avoid bad apples – Just as you would do your best to get quality inbound links to your website, you have to be mindful of bad apples that could potentially ruin your page ranking standings by way of association. Websites that have a spotty reputation and that use unethical and sneaky means of getting visitors to their site or to increase their page rankings are definitely to be avoided at all costs. Some of the methods these websites employ include:
Duplicitous content
Spamming
Keyword stuffing
Violating copyright laws
Link farming
Doorway pages
Installation of software without the user’s permission or knowledge
Likewise, refrain from the above practices or you will find yourself losing more than just your page ranking standings. Check the background of sites that you are linking to, and that are going to be linked to you. Link only to contextually relevant websites with a solid, proven background and reputation. At the same time, constantly update your website with original content and observe ethical business practices so that your website is beyond reproach, which in turn means more quality inbound links.
Avoid farming – You may have come across web pages where the only thing you can see is a sea of links, with minimal or no useful content whatsoever. These are link farms, which exist solely to stuff the site with as many links as possible to boost their visibility to spiders and searchers alike. This is a deceptive practise and all search engines frown heavily on this kind of link stuffing. That’s why it is very important that when you create outbound links to other websites, make very certain that those websites share a contextual relevance with your own and harness only good quality links. When considering whether to link to a site, check the website and especially take note of the content of the website. If the contents appear to be irrelevant to what the website is purported to be about, or if the contents seem to be duplicated or otherwise dubious, then it is best not to link to that site. Also, see if there is some contact information on the website. You have the right to be highly suspicious if the web site provides no contact information of any kind. As always, exercise caution and due diligence when you want to consider outsourcing and hire the services of search engine optimizers who promise you thousands and thousands of quality links to boost your page rankings in no time flat. There is a high chance that the person is using unscrupulous methods to get those links such as software- generated link farming.
Avoid keyword stuffing – Keyword stuffing is the practise of overloading web page content or its meta tags with keywords for the purpose of increasing search visibility and page ranking. Some ingenious technics used back in the day include hiding text in the background by blending them together in the same color and using cascading style sheets (CSS) positioning. It goes without saying that search engines have clamped down hard on this method and it is now no longer effective in SEO. However, there are still black hat SEOs out there who want to outsmart the system and still employ keyword stuffing albeit in a different form. These now include:
Gibberish
Tiny text (to maximize page space for keyword stuffing)
Duplicating the content
Hiding text
Be sure to write content that is geared for the end users rather than for the system to increase your page ranking. A world of good can only come if you constantly provide quality content.
robots.txt. Robots.txt files are essentially barriers that prevent spiders and other search crawlers from accessing a particular web page. For example, if your website has web pages with duplicate content or sensitive information, you will want to include a robots.txt to these pages so that they don’t get indexed and appear on search engines. The common format is:User-Agent: [Spider or Bot name] Disallow: [Directory or file name]Simply open notepad or another text editor and enter the lines of text. One of the foremost reasons for using a robots.txt file is to protect privacy and to block out certain sections of a website that have no relevancy to its primary uses and functions. Take note that robots.txt files are not a complete safeguard against intrusion of privacy, however. Always take safety precautions and build smart website structures and hierarchies to minimize risk.
What to look for in an SEO Company – There are many different kinds of SEOs out there, and with the increasing sophistication and diversity of both search engine optimization and Internet devices, you should pick an SEO company that would best suit your needs, aims and objectives. Check the credentials of the SEO and make sure that he walks the talk, so to speak. Speak with clients whom the SEO company has worked with before and determine what methods he employs to optimize page rankings. To get a better understanding of the SEO:
Request the SEO company’s portfolio of work and testimonials
Past experience and current outlook about SEO company
Clients and referrals
Value-added services, if any
Affiliations and associations that the SEO company is a member of
Practices and methods used
Fees and charges
The expected duties of SEO companies today also encompass the areas of site traffic, link and network building and helping increase conversion rates. Consult with the SEO company about the services offered and how that would best fit in with your overall strategy. Make sure to discuss the following points with your SEO company and improvise and adjust as necessary as the project progresses:
Site coding, structure and hierarchy
Optimization by media platform
Keyword and phrase research
Content development
Linking and networking strategy
Ongoing monitoring and rank reporting
Avoid instant quick fix offers and solutions that “guarantee” instant high page rankings or other such dubious claims. Some SEO companies may indeed give you fast short term gains but with awful long term consequences. Don’t get scammed and if an offer seems too good to be true, it usually is. Generally, stay away from black hat practices and work hard and diligently at ethical, legal SEO methods and the results will come.
Search is getting more personalized – The major search engines are already offering users and searchers many options and choices for narrowing down their searches so that they can get to what they want quickly and efficiently. Many other factors are also playing havoc with the concept of being ranked highly in the search engines, particularly now that search engines are getting more and more personalized and detailed in their search criteria offerings. Depending on region, personal details, language, filters and preferences, what may be a number one ranking for a particular query may not even appear at all for another similar search. What this means for SEO is that SEO is never a one-and-done deal; it is an organic process that continues to evolve and adapt to externally changing situations and circumstances so that a particular site will remain high in its rankings.
User generated content (UGC) – User generated content, also known as user created content (UCC) are publicly available media content that are created by end In the world of SEO, they are a major force to be reckoned with as they increase visibility and spread awareness of a brand or website. Examples of UGC include reviews and testimonials. You may have already seen reviews done by your friends or family on a product and may have even done some reviewing of your own. Some UGC may link back to your website, while others may provide quality content about it. It is good practise to create and foster an online community where users get to trade information and opinions with one another so that you can maximize your site’s exposure and increase its page rank through content creation and keyword generation on the community’s part. However, the community must be genuine and be free from outside interference, even your own. Moderation is practical so long as it deals with abuses and other infractions that would harm the community. Encourage user participation on your website by having contests and other such events so that more UGC is created. Lastly, keep in mind that UGC such as reviews can be either positive or negative. You cannot satisfy everyone 100%, but know that the good outweigh the bad by far when it comes to user created content for SEO.
Google Sandbox Effect – Many falsely refer to the Google sandbox effect as either their website being delisted or listed under supplemental results. Sandbox merely means Google is testing the ranking, nothing bad about that. However, getting delisted is a problem, while getting into supplemental index is another case. The real sandbox is the one that new domains are indexed to. For Google to determine a new domain’s ranking, they will place the new domain a little bit higher on the search rankings so that more visitors will go to it initially. Google can then profile the web site’s visitor response, from which Google will be able to determine the correct placement of the website. Usually, new domains will experience high ranking on the early stages, and then suddenly experience a drop. This is because the early ranking was only temporary and Google has since determined that the site does not deserve a high ranking, hence dropping it. We also have cases where google decided that the site deserved a higher ranking and got pushed further up. This is the true sandbox.The sandbox fear that says too much backlinks will hurt a site is just a rumor. It was true somewhere back in 2006 to 2007. Back then, SEO firms exploited this and started spamming competitors’ site with thousands of backlinks a day to see them drop dramatically in the rankings. After that, Google decided that off-page linkbuilding will not affect your ranking. Google has even publicly confirmed that off-page linkbuilding will NOT affect ranking anymore: https://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=34449
Duplicate content is fine (wait, what?) – This may sound ridiculous. You know that Google penalizes websites for duplicating content. Actually, this is true only if you duplicate content within your own domain. For example, if you have the same content on both www.domain.com/ page1.html and www.domain.com/page2.html, then Google is going to penalize you. However, if the same content were to appear on two (or more) different domains, such as www.hisdomain.com/page1.html and www.herdomain.com/page1.html, then Google will treat the content as if it were unique and not penalize either site. This only makes sense as articles, press releases and other content do get copied and duplicated over many different web sites. What this means is that you can submit the same content to as many sites as you want, for example submitting the same article to dozens of article directories, without fear of being penalized or downranked. Bear in mind that Google will be placing excessive duplicated content in their supplemental index, which means, duplicates won’t really show up in search results. It is still a useful practice to submit the same content to as many relevant sites as possible so it gains maximum exposure to readers and Internet users. These readers may very well link to your original site from their own blogs, web pages or sites and therefore increase traffic and the number of backlinks to your site.More on duplicated content and getting flushed into supplemental index: Most of the time, duplicate results are shown in a supplemental index (that means, not displayed). Google has a problem determining who is the original and who is the duplicate. This can happen if someone else copied your content and Google actually thinks the other person is the original and you are the duplicate. However, there is still a way to let Google know who is the original. For example, you have the same article on your site and on 1,000 article directories. The best way to tell Google you are the original is to have the 1,000 sites point a link back to your site. This is the same as academic referencing where 1,000 sites referenced your site. Therefore, this tells Google your site is the original source. Also, since 1,000 other sites referenced your site, it makes Google think that the content is quite important and hence, rank better. If your content has been copied and Google mistakenly puts you in the supplemental index, what you can do is to change your content afresh and make a press release. This way, you have unique content and the press release will bring the spiders back to your site so Google can re-cache your site. This often rescues a site from getting binned in the supplemental index.
Many of us have heard this information before, but it never hurts to review the basics of SEO.
On-Site Optimization
Once you’ve chosen your keywords, your next goal is to optimize your web pages and content for those keywords. To do this, you will want to make sure the main keyword phrase for each page appears in the following places.
The SEO Title
Websites that have been properly optimized usually have their main keywords in the title of the page. This is the most important on-site optimization element. Not only that, but it shows up in search results, in the tab when someone is viewing a particular page, in the bookmark when people save your page on their browser, and in the social share of the page if they tweet it, like it, or bookmark it online. In short, it’s seen just about everywhere that page is referenced.
The URL
If possible, make sure that your website’s URL structure uses your keywords. For example, your web design services page should be yourdomain.com/web-design-services and not yourdomain.com/p=1139.
The Meta Description
While this isn’t as important as far as ranking for your keyword phrase, it does show up in almost as many places as the SEO title, which makes it important regardless.
The Content
You don’t want to go overboard and mention your main keyword phrase in a way that seems unnatural. But you do want to make sure the content on your page represents the main keyword phrase and is mentioned within it. At bare minimum, it should be in the opening paragraph on a page. Also, try to use it in a header tag (like H2, H3 tags).
The Image ALT Tag
If you have an image on your page (and you should), include the main keyword in the image’s ALT tag. So if you have a photo of yourself on the homepage, ALT tag the photo with your name + your keyword like John Smith, Freelance Web Designer.
Proper on-site optimization will tell search engines what each page is about, and help ensure that they earn better rankings for those keywords. Also, be sure to consider on-site optimization for your social media profiles. Primarily, you will want to add your main keyword phrase to your social profile’s about section, introduction, or bio. Also try to use your main keyword phrases naturally in status updates. Both will help more people discover your business through social media.
Tips to Avoid Search Engine Penalties
Don’t over-optimize on your website or your social media profiles. The most common form of over-optimization is keyword stuffing, or using your keyword phrase an unnatural amount of times on a page. This is generally frowned upon by Google and could hurt your search rankings if discovered by Google’s algorithm changes.
Local Search Optimization
If your business has a local focus, such as a physical location that customers visit or offers services within a specific area, you will also want to optimize your website for that location. Go back to your keyword research and see what locations you can optimize your pages for.
There is a lot to learn when it comes to SEO, but these are the basics that will help you get going in the right direction, or at least help you make sure you are paying for good service.
When showing prospective buyers what your business is about, you’ll find strategic branding to be your most efficient tool. Marketing materials, which communicate verbally, and design symbols, which act visually, reflect your brand. But bear in mind branding isn’t about winning your customers’ business. The true essence of smart branding lies in becoming the very best solution to a problem.
Setting yourself apart from your competition requires you to utilize your strategic branding. To create a most effective brand, think about what it is you could offer a specific demographic. Be sure to use phrasing and images which represent your business to your market, thus furthering your brand. You could communicate a clear message through your branding.
Evoking trust from your niche buyers is about having strong strategic branding. This can likely mean a positive response to things like ads, email messages, and newsletters. Once people feel they’re in the position to trust your business and brand, they will probably be more likely to respond positively to your ads.
Consistency in Strategic Branding is Key
Keep your business consistent and focused on your ongoing strategic branding efforts. Your branding should consistently transcend product offerings, messages and audience appeal. Your business could be completely enhanced by long-term smart branding efforts. It will also help you to establish and maintain a following of loyal buyers.
A strong brand will likely be invaluable to the success of your business. Take your time and thoroughly research, focus, and develop an effective brand. Never forget that your brand is possibly the initial promise you make to your clients. It’s a central part of your promotional efforts, and not something you really want to be caught without.
Clients enjoy sharing their favorite brands with others. People are always telling others about brands they like to buy; things they eat, wear and listen to. A brand you do not find memorable, however, just isn’t something you’ll tell others about. Encouraging viral traffic or referrals requires a strong brand.
It requires more than just a logo or trademark to develop a brand. Your company’s values, ethics, actions, culture and results are highlighted by its brand symbols. It’s now easier than ever for a small business to develop a brand and popularize it among the masses. There’s no need for small companies to spend lots of cash on strategic branding due to the Internet and social networking.
Honesty and Sincerity in Business Marketing
If you are honest and sincere about the strategic branding process, you’ll have success. You shouldn’t be surprised if business marketing campaigns do not succeed in portraying your company as ethical and honest if you use pirated software or commit other less than desirable acts. Ensure the way you work lines up with what you claim. Business reputations are hard to rehabilitate once destroyed.
Strategic branding could establish you as an authority in your niche if approached in the right manner. Communicate key messages to your core audience, and clarify your unique marketing position. You could increase the feeling of inclusion through a strategic use of phrases or imagery. Be sure they know that your business exists to fulfill their needs.
How many emails or phone calls do you receive from SEO companies claiming to get your website on top?
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Many SEO companies claim to get your website at the top of search engine rankings, but every SEO company has a different pricing model. Some charge hourly while others charge per project. Many even have monthly retainers, and there are a few who also claim to charge on a “pay per performance” model. Choosing the right SEO company is a tough call. So how do you compare different SEO agencies with different pricing models?
To make your task easier, we came up with 10 crucial questions to ask your SEO vendors. The answers to these questions will help you select the SEO company that is the right fit for your business.
What you’ll learn in next 15 minutes:
How to search and short list good SEO companies
10 crucial points to consider before you hire an SEO company
Conclusion
Search keywords like SEO service, SEO companies, and SEO services along with your city name to find SEO companies. Do not restrict yourself to just organic rankings, but look at paid listings also.
Criteria for short listing SEO vendors:
Quality Content – Check the vendor’s website content
Quality Blogs – Review the SEO company’s blog to ensure they stay up to date on the latest changes in SEO
About Us – Verify that their about page explains who they are and lists their domain experience
Trust and Credibility – Look for certifications from Google Adwords and Microsoft Bing and verify whether or not they are members of industry organizations like SEMPO (Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization)
Pricing – Although hourly rates and monthly retainers are common, 70% of all SEO agencies offer fixed-project pricing. We highly recommended fixed-pricing models, because they help you avoid surprise fees.
Myth – The Highest Ranking SEO Companies Must Be The Best Ones
This is not at all the case. Actually, most of the great SEO companies I know are referral only and their websites are very basic. They put their efforts into ranking their clients, not their own stuff.
– Rand Fishkin, From Seomoz.com
1) Ask Them What SEO Strategy They Will Implement On Your Website
Many companies focus only on link building. This approach is lazy and avoids making necessary changes to website code and copy (apart from changing meta tags).
Here is a basic check list:
Keyword and keyword phrase selection
Creation of quality content
Link building campaign including social bookmarking
Uniqueness of meta tags
Use of sitemaps
Avoid companies that advocate reciprocal linking, because it’s a clear indication that the SEO company is using outdated SEO tactics.
2) Ask About Their Social Strategy For SEO?
Statistically, every 10th person in this world has an account on Facebook, and over 34% of marketers generate leads using Twitter. But Google’s introduction of Search Plus Your World in early 2012 has been a game changer for SEO. Your SEO vendor should have a Strategy for Google Search Plus Your World as part of their SEO campaign. Ask if they include:
Installing Google +1 button on your website
Creating a Google Plus Brand Page for your business
Outreach to prominent Google Plus one users in your industry and vote requests for your website
Remember, Social Signals are clearly replacing link signals and will only gain more importance.
3) Is Google Places Listing A Part Of Their SEO Strategy?
If your business is local, Google Places is very important for the survival of your business. Does your SEO vendor include Google places optimization as part of its SEO deliverables?
You should look out for these deliverables:
Submitting your business to Google Places
Enhancing your Places profile by adding images, videos
Not having Google Places in your SEO plan would mean losing visibility and business from your Local County/ City. Google Places should be part of default SEO plan and not be an added feature.
4) What is their Article Marketing Strategy?
Writing articles and submitting them to various article submission sites is a good way to get traffic and backlinks. However, many SEO companies (and freelancers) submit the same article to multiple article websites. This results in content duplication, attracting a penalty from Google. One of the biggest Google updates, Panda, penalized lots of sites for either having duplicate content or having content with no meaning.
Some vendors also use software to create multiple variations of the same article and then submit it to different sites. While this might produce results for a short time, you will end up with nonsensical content. And there is always the possibility that Google will ban your website.
Most of the emails you get in your inbox claiming to submit your article to hundreds of article directories use such techniques, and they could get your website banned.
So how can you be sure your SEO vendor’s article marketing strategy won’t get you in trouble? Check their deliverables and see how many times they submitted the same article to different sites. If they create 10 articles and submit each article to more than 3 sites, it’s likely your ranking will suffer.
5) Do They Provide Guaranteed Rankings?
Many SEO companies use “Guaranteed Rankings And Traffic” catch phrase to lure in gullible buyers.
Avoid all SEO vendors who give you “guarantee” that your website will rank on first page of Google or Bing for specific keywords. Reputed SEO companies do not provide ranking guarantees as Google in particular is very much against the practice.
No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.
“Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a “special relationship” with Google, or advertise a “Priority Submit” to Google. There is no priority submit for Google.”
– Google SEO Guidelines
“From 1996 through to today, SEO scams have used “guaranteed rankings and traffic” as a slimy catchphrase to lure in gullible buyers with too-good-to-be-true promises. That association has stained the entire industry and repulsed even businesses that might consider using the “guarantee” label.”
– Rand Fishkin, From SEOmoz.com
6) What Kind Of Online Reporting & SEO Intelligence Tools Will You Get?
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Does the company provide you with a tracking system to keep track of the work they do and your website rankings?
Professional SEO companies provide an online dashboard for their clients. The dashboard should have data from independent, third party SEO intelligence tools like SEOMoz and MajesticSEO.
A dashboard that includes work reports, SEO intelligence data, and Google, Facebook and Twitter integration shows the professionalism and commitment of your vendor in providing professional SEO services.
7) Ask for a List of Past Success Stories / Case Studies / Testimonials & References
Your shortlisted SEO vendors should back up all their claims with a list of case studies as well as client testimonials or references.
Talking to these references will help you gain a better understanding of the SEO vendor’s reputation.
8) Who Will Make Changes To Your Website. You or The SEO Vendor?
Some SEO vendors offer an all-inclusive SEO package, which means they will also make actual changes on your website. Many others secretly charge extra for making changes to your website. Now, if your website is using some proprietary code or uncommon programming language, then it’s natural that doing those changes would cost you extra. But simple HTML changes to your website, WordPress and Joomla site updates, adding sitemaps, and installing Google Analytics code should not cost you extra.
Ask vendors to specify what changes are included in the SEO package. In either case, you should note the extra cost (if any).
9) How Long Has The SEO Vendor Been In Business?
This is a golden rule that applies to every business. There are no guarantees in this world, but any SEO company that has been in business for a minimum of 4 to 5 years has managed to cope with 2 or 3 major search engine algorithm changes. They are survivors, and that merits a certain amount of respect. Short list any vendors who have been in business for 4 years or more.
10) Clarify What Kind Of Support You Will Get
The kind of customer support you get is important. Ask the short listed vendors what types of client support they provide. Email, chat and phone support are the three major forms of customer service.
Conclusion
After you compare answers to these 10 questions from different SEO vendors, you will get a gut feeling about the SEO vendor that is the right fit for your business. If you are still unable to make a decision or have any follow-up questions, or want to know more about our SEO plans, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Contact us or call us at 281-816-6932 to get a free website analysis worth $200. Limited offer!
We are seeing a lot of changes in the world of mobile web design. The movement is pointing towards responsive rather than dedicated mobile websites.
Responsive mobile websites “resize” the desktop version of your website, so updates are automatic and your branding stays intact.
The resizing can potentially fit on ANY size screen, but primarily its built for desktops and tablets/smartphones.
Dedicated mobile versions are usually treated as an afterthought, something added in later after the site is already up. A proper responsive website is considered upfront (during concept, content, and design stages) rather than added in after the website is completed.
Responsive is a little more work, but it will save you a lot of hassle (aka time and money) down the road. Bottom line: You’re going to need one.
So now, a responsive mobile website is included with every custom website we develop.
If the price is a little higher than your average web guy punching out code from his house (or overseas), its because you are getting the best. You are getting future-proofed. You’re getting it done RIGHT the first time.
There are three basic questions that should be answered before trying to create your brand and marketing strategy. To get you started, here is a little bit of information that may send you down the best path:
The first question should be: What is a Brand?
A brand is more than a logo; a brand represents your company in a way that will be recognizable and relatable to your target audience. A brand is what makes a company memorable — customers and clients associate the service and quality of a company with the image that represents your company.
The next question will be: What do I use the Brand for?
Your brand is how your company is portrayed to your audience. All of your marketing should be cohesive in your message. Whether you’re focusing on being dependable or on having the fastest response times in the state, you must use a marketing strategy that will portray this message across the board. This allows your audience to understand what your company stands for while also easily recognizing your brand in different marketing arenas.
The last question is: How does my Marketing Strategy promote my Brand?
This becomes a mixture of creating innovative, memorable ads and marketing campaigns and providing top notch service that gives your customers or clients a reason to want to remember your brand. Once they have a reason to remember, providing them with the right graphics and well-placed advertising makes it simple to remember and easier to recommend.
Give us a call if you’re interested in marketing your brand to become more recognizable to your target audience and how you can grow your client base with some simple graphic and marketing changes.
With over 4 billion mobile devices in use worldwide, smartphones are now commonplace. As the technology behind the phones continues to develop, consumers are browsing the internet more often on their phones than on their desktop computers.
People can use their phones to access websites, transfer money, and buy products online. As this shift in buying patterns continues, it’s becoming necessary for businesses to create a mobile optimized version of their website.
By providing customers with an easy and accessible way to connect with your business from anywhere and at any time, you’re making certain you’re not missing out on potential customers who might find your site via a mobile device.
What Is A Mobile Website?
All standard websites can be accessed via a smartphone, but mobile websites are specifically designed to suit the device’s small screen, slow speed, and limited functions. Mobile sites show users exactly the same vital information, but in a way that it is easier and faster to navigate. By creating a mobile website for your business, you will be able to make the most of the new advertising opportunities that this technology offers.
Since the iPhone was first introduced in 2007, the number of people using smartphones has continued to increase. Studies show that since mid-2011 the average person now spends longer on their phone than they do on their PC. As a result, a more specialized mobile marketplace has emerged. A mobile website differs from a standard website in a number of ways:
– Pages are more compact so that they are easily viewable on a smaller screen
– Websites load faster to suit limited smartphone capability
– All data is simplified to make it easy to negotiate
– Flash and other multimedia elements that are not compatible with all mobile devices are avoided
How To Create A Successful Mobile Optimized Website
A typical user spends an average of 77 minutes per day on their smartphone, so creating a well-designed, mobile optimized website can boost your business’s online visibility and yield significant results.
Here are just a few features that a successful mobile website should include:
Simple layout
The most important difference between a mobile site and a standard site is the way that it is laid out. Your website needs to be easy to read on a much smaller screen. The key design aim is to prevent the user getting lost in navigation. Here are just a couple of changes that should be made:
– Cut out all non-vital information
– Limit the number of categories you have
– Reduce the number of links per page
– Prioritize links in order of popularity and importance
– Avoid using forms or tables
Fast download speeds
The larger the data size of a page, the longer it will take to load. This is true of every website, but keeping data size low is particularly important in those designed for smartphones. If your website is slow to load, users can quickly get frustrated and move onto other sites. The more pages they are able to view in a set time, the more likely they are to see something they want to buy.
Integrate with map
A wide range of mapping functions can be included as part of a mobile website. The technology is able to alert a customer when they are close to your premises or navigate them directly to it. This feature is particularly useful for small and local businesses which often go unnoticed when standing next to larger chain stores.
Connect with offline media
Smartphones are carried with people wherever they go, so the devices have an unprecedented ability to connect online and offline forms of advertising. QR codes are scanned by a phone’s camera and will connect the web browser to a specific webpage, such as a landing page or buying page. The code can be added to magazines, posters, brochures, and any other form of print advertisement.
The Results You Can Expect From A Mobile Website
By creating a mobile optimized version of your website, you can increase your sales, boost your visibility, and make a positive difference to your business’s image. Here are just a few of the possible advantages:
Higher Google ranking
The higher up that a website appears in search engine results, the more likely it is to be visited by customers. This is especially true of the mobile internet because scrolling through results on a smartphone can be difficult. Search engines like Google are able to recognize when a person is using a smartphone and will feature mobile optimized websites higher in their search results. Your easy-to-read site will have an automatic advantage over your less up-to-date competitors.
Positive customer experience
Once a customer enters your site it is important that they have an enjoyable experience. If a webpage is difficult to read, then a user looking for specific information will simply move onto a more suitable site. By having a clear and concise layout, you can ensure that each visit creates a positive impression of your business.
More sales
Expanding your website to meet the needs of the mobile market is an ideal way drive up your profits. Making the buying process as simple as possible and reducing the number of steps it takes to get from landing page to purchase is key in maximizing sales.
A better brand image
Having a user-friendly, mobile optimized web page will give your business a contemporary, technology aware image. As mobile websites continue to become a mainstream reality, businesses without them are being left behind.
How To Get Started With a Mobile Website
Creating a mobile website opens your business up to a huge marketplace that is continuing to grow. However, without extensive online marketing knowledge, developing a successful mobile website design and overall advertising strategy can be almost impossible. Awkward navigation, convoluted design, and unnecessary graphics can all frustrate and put off potential customers.
If you are looking for an easier way to make the most of this emerging technology, an online marketing specialist can help you to create and manage your mobile website. Hiring the services of a professional will not only save you time and money in the long run, but it can also give you peace of mind that your website will be a success.
Any business, whether a Fortune 500 company or a local mom and pop store, can suffer from bad publicity. With the amount of activity on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, one person’s complaint about a particular aspect of your business can quickly turn into an avalanche of negative feedback if not handled properly. Worse still, handling the initial negative comment or comments incorrectly can have an even more damaging effect on your business and its image.
All it takes is one bad response to a negative review to start an ugly argument; the result being that poor response can tarnish your business’ reputation for a long time. When you respond badly to a negative review, your response won’t just be read by the initial reviewer. What you say can and likely will be read by everyone who reads your reviews or looks for your feed, whether it’s on Google, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, or any other platform. It also shows that you can’t take criticism gracefully, and no one wants to do business with someone if they fear backlash from giving an honest review that is less than five stars.
What’s the proper way to respond to a negative review?
Regardless of how good your products and services may be, at some point, someone is going to feel like they got short changed. It’s just a fact of business. Twenty years ago, it may have resulted in an angry call or letter, but these days, an angry customer has the power to create a wave of distrust or fear with a few well-placed reviews. Take these steps to help prevent further damage:
Respond positively. Acknowledge that the negative reviewer was unhappy with some aspect of your service or product. Avoid becoming defensive – whether you were in the wrong or not, it automatically makes you look like you were if you take a defensive tone. Rather, be engaging, humble, and willing to listen.
Take it offline. Eliminate the possibility of a negative online discussion by asking the person to call your business directly so that you can discuss and remedy the issue in person. Not only will the customer feel as if you’re taking the time to right what they felt was wrong, but it also shows readers (potential clients) that you can respond appropriately, that you care enough to try to fix the issue, and that you’re willing to grow from the feedback.
Offer to make it better. There exists what Terry College of Business professors Michael McCollough and Sundar Bharadwaj call the service recovery paradox, which is the result of a very positive service recovery, causing a level of customer satisfaction and/or customer loyalty even greater than that expected if no service failure had happened. If you can manage to help your negative reviewer feel as though the wrong was righted and gain back their business, it is possible to recover from a negative review.
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Keep your business consistent and focused on your ongoing strategic branding efforts. Your branding should consistently transcend product offerings, messages and audience appeal. Your business could be completely enhanced by long-term smart branding efforts. It will also help you to establish and maintain a following of loyal buyers.
2) Ask About Their Social Strategy For SEO?
3) Is Google Places Listing A Part Of Their SEO Strategy?
9) How Long Has The SEO Vendor Been In Business?
Your brand is how your company is portrayed to your audience. All of your marketing should be cohesive in your message. Whether you’re focusing on being dependable or on having the fastest response times in the state, you must use a marketing strategy that will portray this message across the board. This allows your audience to understand what your company stands for while also easily recognizing your brand in different marketing arenas.
All standard websites can be accessed via a smartphone, but 