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SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 26

Over the next few weeks, our "SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice" blog entries will look specifically at link building.

Link building, also known as back linking or inbound links, is the process by which other websites publish a link on their website pointing back to your website.

For example, if you belong to a chamber of commerce, then chances are good your membership includes a listing about your business in their online directory. Hopefully, your listing includes a link to your website such as http://www.yourwebsite.com or www.yourwebsite.com.

Another easy link is from a manufacturer of which you are a distributor or a reseller of their products. In almost all cases, manufacturer's websites will list contact information - including website listings - for their distributors, dealers, etc.

Your homework for this week: Do a little research and see if your membership in chambers and other organizations includes an online listing and a link back to your website. If so, check to make sure the URL is properly pointing to your website. Do the same, if you are a distributor, dealer, etc. for a manufacturing company.

We have had a few experiences in which chamber listings were incorrect or incomplete.

More next Tuesday on Link Building. If you can't wait, please feel free to call me at (513) 885-5000 or request a free, no-obligation SEO Analysis of your website (which includes a link analysis).

Search Engine Optimization May Increase Sales During Bad Times

The Fort Worth Business Press reminds us now is not the time to cut back on your search engine marketing efforts. If anything, now might be the right time to ramp things up a bit.

In this morning's issue, the Business Press noted:

• Internet searches beat out TV, radio and the Yellow Pages.
• Amazingly, some companies still haven't grasped the Internet yet.
• Potential customers can't find your website.
• More companies have their entire catalog online. However, the sites are not search-engine friendly.
• Website developers, who designed those expensive and glitzy websites, are may be clueless about search engine optimization. The "build it and they will come" approach only works with baseball stadiums and not websites.

How does your website rate with Google and other search engines? Ask for our free, no-obligation SEO Analysis and find out.

Using LinkedIn & Other Social Networks

Kendra Ramirez, of Sales Konnect, gave an excellent presentation this morning at The Circuit on using LinkedIn and other social networks to promote your business.

According to Ramirez, if you are using properly using LinkedIn and other social networks then you shouldn't have to do cold calling (she called it "dialin' and smilin").

Now, more than ever, is the time to change.

There are over 200 million people are participating in social networking. If you are not participating, you are missing out on major opportunities.

Ramirez encouraged her audience to use the free version of LinkedIn and not to pay for additional levels of service. I would suspect most of us aren't even using all of the free tools available, so why upgrade?

Some tips from Ramirez:

• Take time to update your LinkedIn profile and participate.
• Do it every day. Make it a habit.
• Add prospects and clients to LinkedIn.
• Check out prospects in LinkedIn before you visit them. Do you share some common connections?
• Instead of a sales call, use a warm connection. You both might know the same person.
• Your LinkedIn profile is not your resume. It's your sales card.
• Update your Status bar in Linked.
• Use your name in your Public Profile. Put it on your business card (and on your website).

Some LinkedIn users would like more connections (especially with clients), but don't want other connections to see their clients. However, Ramirez says to "hide" your connects instead of leaving them open. Only the connections you both share will be viewable.

In regards to other social networking opportunities, Ramirez noted LinkedIn has 27 million participants. Facebook has 100 million.

"Facebook is not for kids," she says.

Plaxo, another social network, is growing and has approximately 27 million members. The online service used to be a contact manager, but has now evolved into a social networking site.

In addition, Ramirez mentioned Ning, Twitter and Ping.

Join me on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/purpletrout

SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 25

Writing good (and fresh) content for your website not only attracts search engines, but it makes you popular with humans as well.

Think about it: the websites you visit most often are those with fresh content (i.e., CNN, ESPN, The Weather Channel, local news websites, blogs, etc.).

Content writing doesn't need to be difficult or time consuming. You can write short press releases and articles up to 500 words.

Never mix a sales pitch within an article. Instead, position yourself as an expert. For example, if you are a website designer, write an article on "10 Tips to Better Web Design" or "When Flash Is Acceptable", etc.

Set a goal to write at least one article and one press release per month. Make sure you have links throughout your website - especially on the Home page - to your articles.

Search Engine Optimization Podcasts

If you're looking for more information on search engine optimization, check out my SEO podcast library.

This month's podcast is the second part of a two-part feature on keyword research, which includes the "who, what, where, why and how" of keyword research.

Upcoming topics include:

• Scary SEO Myths
• Reasons You Should Blog
• Questions To Ask Before You Hire An SEO Firm

You can also follow my podcasts through RSS feeds and iTunes.

SEO & Beyond: Review

Last Friday, Kelly Berkemeier, of ISOCNET, and I presented "SEO and Beyond" at The Circuit's Entrepreneur Forum in Hyde Park. Some 50 participants attended (and they asked a lot of questions!).

In review, Kelly focused on search engine optimization from a design standpoint.

Yes, design is a factor in SEO.

She reminded our audience:

• To keep design in mind by using an "F" or "E" Design with links/buttons across the top and left side of the page (an "F" Design) or links/buttons across the top, bottom and left side of the page (an "E" Design).
• Avoid Flash, Frames, design software (like FrontPage).
• Check your website in multiple browsers.
• What is your call to action? Think "conversion" with your website.
• Keep your code clean. Use Heading tags, CSS styles, Robots.txt files, Alt text.
• Write strong Page Titles and Page Descriptions for every page of your website.
• Consider content management systems to help manage your site.
• Purchase a strong domain name; host your website with a good hosting firm and always review your web stats.

I offered:

• A quick overview of search engine optimization (organic rankings) and search engine marketing (pay per click).
• All search engine optimization begins with keywords. You can't write content, page titles, articles or conducting quality link building without keywords.
• Write strong page titles (60 to 100 characters) and page descriptions (200 characters) - one for each page. Unique.
• Write fresh content for your website, including articles, press releases, newsletters, blogs, etc.
• Write a blog. Period.
• Always work on incoming links to your website.
• A quick overview of social media - Twitter, Facebook, Digg and Utterz.

The search engine optimization field is growing and changing constantly, making a 45-minute presentation challenging.

Avoiding Sleazy SEO Firms

When considering hiring a search engine optimization consulting firm, you need to consider the "sleaze" factor.

Unfortunately, some SEO consultants (and I use that word loosely) are just like some used car salesmen. They will tell you exactly what you want to hear and then you get burned.

Watch out for these red flags when interviewing a potential SEO consulting firm:

• They make any kind of promise such as guaranteed rankings; guaranteed results or guaranteed links. Google warns of such guarantees on its Webmaster Help Center.
• They introduce themselves in an e-mail SPAM blast.
• They offer a "pay for performance" or "pay for links" offer. I would be very cautious. While some would say "pay for performance" is good because the firm won't get paid unless they deliver, I would add that it might tempt an unethical firm to apply some Black Hat techniques in order to push rankings up and, therefore, get paid. Black Hat techniques can cause your website to get banned from the Google server.
• They won't tell you their policies or how the work is going to be completed. Everything they do is "top secret."
• They don't produce references or case studies.
• They talk up their SEO "certification". I've got news for you...an SEO certification is worthless. Anyone can take a $29 class online and get "certified". Unlike Microsoft, who certifies technicians and programmers, there isn't a governing body that oversees "certification" with search engine optimization. Instead, there are a lot of consultants and training centers who offer SEO classes and give you a certificate. Who says these training centers are authorized to hand out certifications?
• Part of their plan is to have a link on your website back to their website.
• They talk a lot about other search engines besides Google.

If you are looking for some great interview questions to ask a potential search engine optimization firm, Google offers these:

• Can you show me examples of your previous work and share some success stories?
• Do you follow the Google Webmaster Guidelines?
• Do you offer any online marketing services or advice to complement your organic search business?
• What kind of results do you expect to see, and in what timeframe? How do you measure your success?
• What's your experience in my industry?
• What's your experience in my country/city?
• What's your experience developing international sites?
• What are your most important SEO techniques?
• How long have you been in business?
• How can I expect to communicate with you? Will you share with me all the changes you make to my site, and provide detailed information about your recommendations and the reasoning behind them?

I would add that you should always interview more than one SEO firm. It's your business; your website and your decision on which firm is going to help you the most.

SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 24

Are you listed in Google Maps?

You've seen them...if you search for something with a "local" keyword such as "Cincinnati pizza" or "Cincinnati lawn care" a Google Map is the first listing in Google's search results.

It's free.

Here's what you have to do in order to get listed:

• Open a Google account. It's also free. Go to www.Google.com and click the "sign in" link in the top right corner.

• Complete the registration.You must provide an accurate e-mail address as you will receive a registration confirmation.

• Once you have completed the registration, log in and click the "My Account" link.

• Click the "Local Business Center" link.

• On the "Locations" tab, click "Add New Listings" and complete the information. The more details you can give, the better.

Now for the hard part:

• To confirm the information, Google will supply a PIN number. You will have the option of Google calling you (within 5-10 minutes of completing the registration) to confirm the PIN, or they will snail-mail you a postcard with the PIN number for you to enter manually.

Once you have completed the above steps, you're done!

SEO & Beyond

"SEO & Beyond" will be the topic when The Circuit hosts its Regional Entrepreneur Forum on Friday, September 19 at 8 a.m.

Kelly Berkemeier of ISOCNET and Steve Phillips of Purple Trout, LLC will present the basics of search engine optimization and website design concepts before moving into more advanced SEO and design techniques that help in search engine optimization.

Some of the topics include:

• The elements of basic design with SEO in mind

• All SEO begins with keywords

• Page titles and other meta tag codes

• Content management systems

• Blogs

• Link Building

• Social Media

The event will be held at the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, 3805 Edwards Road, Cincinnati. Admission fee is $10.

Cincinnati AMA Digital Summit: Compelling Reasons Businesses Should Blog

Although the Cincinnati AMA Digital Summit was held over a week ago, Kristen Hanschu's presentation "Compelling Reasons Businesses Should Blog" is well worth mentioning here.

Hanchu, of Compendium Blogware in Indianapolis, revealed five primary reasons why a business should blog:

1. Online Democracy
2. Search Engine Optimization
3. Higher Prospect Interaction and Conversion
4. Email Acquisition
5. Employee Retention and Customer Engagement

Online Democracy, says Hanchu, is the human factor with blogging. She says an employee who blogs is five times more credible than a CEO who blogs. The employee is more believable. This point alone is why more firms should have employees contribute to company blogs.

A blog can be an important factor in SEO. However, blog content must be updated and it must be relevant. There is also a linking strategy (Hanchu referred to it as "link juice") in which other blogs will link and write about your blog.

Blog SEO factors can include Titles, Keywords, Recent Content (and more content), Links and Relevance.

A blog can also increase higher prospect interaction and conversion. It needs a "call to action" (an e-mail, a phone call, a offer to sign up for a newsletter).