Pimp My Keywords

SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 90

A few good ideas to help improve your company's position in Facebook:

• Always show you are human. Let everyone know you are real and try your best to relate to them. Find a common ground and talk to them. When they are "OK" with you, then the relationship moves more into a professional/sales role.
• Share some of your interests. If you are comfortable, share your hobbies and interests. If you see a website, article, link, etc. that your Friends may be interested in, then send it to them through Facebook.
• Join Groups. Be real and join groups that are of interest to you.
• While you certainly would invite family and friends to be Fans of your Facebook Page, be sure to invite customers and prospects to be Friends of your Profile and/or Fans of your Facebook Page.
• Post Events - anything that's helpful (webinars, conferences, conventions) in your industry.
• Use Facebook to do research. Research your competition and potential clients/customers.
• Incorporate your Facebook link in your e-mail messages as part of your signature block.

SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 89

Looking for the right keywords for your website's search engine optimization (SEO) or search engine marketing (PPC) campaigns?

Here's a good list of places to dig deep for keywords:

• Google Adwords Keywords Tool - Absolutely the first place to check. 
• Google Insights - Here, you can compare search patterns in specific categories, regions, time frames, etc. This is a great tool for B2B.
• WordTracker - Free, if you want to dig one keyword at a time. You can also register for a seven-day trial. Good info and articles also on this site. A subscription is $59 per month.
• Keyword Discovery - Excellent keyword website with other tools available. Free trial available. A subscription is $69.95 per month.
• SEO Book Keyword Suggestion Tool - Powered by the WordTracker API, this website is free. Good source of other SEO information here as well. Sometimes, the research tool can be slow.
• KeywordSpy - Allows you to "spy" on your competition and uncover their targeted keywords. Free trial. Monthly subscription is $89.95 per month.

Yes, there are plenty of other keyword services, but the above list should get you well on your way to finding the best keywords.

SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 88

If you're still unsure as to how to start (or where to start) with social media, here's a few tips to help you get going:

• Get started now. Social media is huge and it's going to get even bigger. Google is already including social media posts in its real-time search results.
• Write a blog. I've been preaching this point for years now. At the very least, start a blog and write one blog entry per week. Blog posts can include more information about you, your business, your products and services; news in the industry; helpful tips and insights, etc.
• Make sure you're in LinkedIn. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is 100% complete. Participate in the Answers section by asking and answering questions. Join and participate in Groups.
• Create a Facebook page for your business. Be helpful and informative. Offer tips and advice. Listen and gain trust.
• Create a Twitter account. Start by "listening" to what your customers are saying, then participate in the discussion.
• Monitor the results.

Ready? Begin!

SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 87

Before you go running off to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or other social media websites, don't forget about your own company's website.

Everyone wants to be part of the new social media trend. Ultimately, however, potential customers are going to check out your website.

Make sure your website is accurate; up-to-date; contains correct contact information; all links are working; are forms are working; old news is removed, etc.

So, if you're going to embark on a social media campaign, make sure your website has a lasting impression.

Beaded Hope: Non-Profit SEO & Social Media Case Study Update

We're getting started on one of our three Non-Profit SEO Grant winners with Beaded Hope (www.beadedhope.org).

Beaded Hope's mission is to fight HIV/AIDS one person at a time by providing South Africans with the opportunity to earn an income, support their families and nurture their creativity, while preserving age-old bead working traditions.

With our grant offering, Purple Trout will be focusing on increasing traffic and awareness to the Beaded Hope website through organic search engine optimization (SEO) and social media.

To date, we have consulted with Beaded Hope on keyword strategy and selection and digging into social media plans for the next six months.

As we move forward in this project - as well as our other two NPO projects - we'll keep you posted on our progress.

Is Your Business A Google Favorite Place?

The most popular businesses in Google's Local Business Center are receiving special decals to place in their storefront windows announcing "We're a Favorite Place on Google."

To date, Google has distributed 100,000 decals to the most popular businesses in Google's database. Consumers will be able to use code-scanning applications on modern phones to look up the Google listing for the particular business, restaurant, dry cleaner, insurance office, etc.

If you want to be a Favorite place:

1. Use your Google account to log in at google.com/localbusinesscenter
2. Keep your hours, website, and other details up to date. Stand out with photos, videos, coupons and other information.
3. View your personalized business dashboard to check how many visits your listing is getting; which zip codes people are coming from to reach your door, etc.

Need additional help? Contact us at Purple Trout, LLC.

Note: Purple Trout, LLC is a Favorite Place on Google. Between July 1 and September 30 (three months at our new office location), our business listing was viewed 797 times, with 113 requesting driving directions or other information.

Click-To-Call In Ads On Mobile Devices With Google Adwords Coming Soon

Press Release by Google

We’re pleased to announce that beginning in January, your location-specific business phone number will display alongside your destination url in ads that appear on high-end mobile devices. Users will be able to click-to-call your business just as easily as they click to visit your website.

 

How will phone numbers appear in my ads?

Based on the customer's geographic location, the phone number and closest business address will appear as a fifth line of ad text when the ad appears on mobile devices with full HTML browsers (e.g. iPhone, Android, Palm WebOS).  

 

Where will I be able to see the results?

At launch, you’ll be able to view calls from your ads on your Campaign Summary page within AdWords from the "click type" segment option under the “Filter and Views” drop down. 

 

How will I be charged for phone calls I get from my ad?

The cost of a click to call your business will be the same as the cost of a click to visit your website.

 

What actions should I take?

If you’d like your ads to show location-specific phone numbers when displayed on mobile devices, make sure that your campaign is targeting iPhones and other mobile devices with full HTML browsers, and that you have included phone numbers with your business addresses in the locations under your Campaign settings.

If you would prefer your ads not show phone numbers, simply remove the location extensions from your ad campaigns or un-check mobile devices under the Campaign Settings tab.

 

We hope this new feature enables you to connect more easily with your potential customers. If you have any questions or feedback, please email us at ctc-feedback@google.com. 

 

Sincerely,

The Google AdWords Team

SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 86

Start focusing on local search.

Yes, you might be selling your products and services nationwide (or internationally), but what regional, state and local possibilities are you missing?

Consider:

• Geo-targeted keywords (your keyword + city; keyword + town; keyword + state, etc.). 
• Start with the Adwords Keyword Tool and do some research to see what keywords your prospects are searching in Google.
• Use Google Insights for some deeper research.
• Take a look at Google Trends.
• Earn local links.
• Write articles or guest blog posts for local sites.
• Get listed in Google Maps.

Local search is going to be big in 2010. Get started now.

Google Updates Page Rank (well whoop-tee-doo!)

Recently, Google offered another New Year's Page Rank update in its toolbar. It was second straight year Google offered such a change at or around New Year's.

Of course, bloggers, SEO freaks and those obsessed with Page Rank went into their annual tizzy about why their Page Rank dropped or popped corks in celebration of an up-tick in their PR score.

Big freakin' whoop.

Page Rank is something to look at; something to talk about and something to stress over. Typically, Page Rank is outdated and not truly accurate to your current website. It is not of great importance in search engine optimization and doesn't determine website rankings. It might still a "a" factor in overall rankings, but it is not "they" factor.

Don't fret about the little green bar (the Google Page Rank button) in your Google Toolbar. Move on to content and link building. OK?

SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 85

Now is the time to get your website and social media efforts in gear for 2010.

No more delays.

No more excuses.

Before the holidays arrive, let's plans some goals and some projects for the new year. Ready?

1. Evaluate your company's website. What's the message? What is the call to action? Does the content need to be updated? Do you have a page for articles and press releases? Does your site have social media badges (to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)?
2. Evaluate your website's targeted keywords and content. Is the right audience finding your website in Google and other search engines? Are you promoting old articles and press releases from more than year old?
3. In reference to search engine optimization (SEO) and content, how are your keywords doing? Invest some time into keyword digging with the Google Keyword Research Tool, Wordtracker and Keyword Discovery. Once you have selected your targeted research, write some better content.
4. Write a blog. You need to get this going. Now.
5. Participate in a Pay Per Click campaign with Google, Bing or Facebook.
6. Keep your eye on Bing. It's a good place to start if you are trying out your first Pay Per Click campaign.
7. How are your local rankings? Are you targeting local customers? Regional customers? National customers? All of them?
8. Are you listed in Google Maps? You should be. It's free.

Don't let another year go by without taking advantage of your website's potential. Start today and get ready for 2010.