Pimp My Keywords

Simple SEO Tasks: SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 176

Sometimes, it's easy to overlook the obvious when it comes to taking your search engine optimization efforts to the next level.

Consider:

• Listen and do research.
• What are your competitors doing?
• Use a great keyword research tool, like SEM Rush and find out what keywords you should be using.
• Use Google Alerts to track your own keywords; your name; your business name, etc.
• Bookmark the good articles (from your Google Alerts) that you want to read later. Use Diigo, Stumble Upon and Delicious for tagging.
• Listen via Twitter. Search for a keyword #hashtag.
• Create your own Twitter keyword #hashtag and use it often.
• Test your headline in a Google search.
• Test your press release in your blog.
• Using the words "How To" is a great way to start a blog post.

Do you have some tips that often get overlooked?

Content Is Still King: SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 175

Content is still king when it comes to search engine optimization.

Recently, Google announced there will be some more algorithm changes coming and a few updates involve content. Mainly:

• Google is going to be looking for content "above the fold" in websites. Start thinking about moving content up higher in your web pages and now below that giant Flash element.
• Fresh content is going to be important. Are you updating your website with fresh content? A blog is a great way to produce fresh content for your website.

Start writing!

Deep Thoughts By Google's Matt Cutts (at Pubcon)

Matt Cutts, head of Google's Webspam team, recently spoke at Pubcon in Las Vegas.

When Cutts speaks, people truly listen.

In fact, they're usually sitting on the edge of their seats writing down every word and trying to capture an insider's track on how they can earn higher rankings in Google.

Here are some points made by Cutts at Pubcon:

• SEO is not dead (Note: If you think SEO is dead, then move on. Your competition will crush you and then you'll have something else to whine about).
• The long-term trend is mobile search, local search and social search.
• The Google search algorithm is going to change soon with more emphasis on content above  the web page fold.
• Google is going to allow website owners to ping site updates, so one can "claim" new and original content before scraper sites steal it.
• Use Webmaster Tools.
• Sign up for e-mail alerts.

Google's Amit Singhal, who some say is the Google algorithm king, also added:

• Press releases are not helpful for link building any more. Links from press releases can be good but only when media uses the release and creates their own story.
• More emphasis will be coming soon on personal search in Google.

Stay tuned!

Are You Monitoring Social Media?: SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 174

It doesn't matter how much (or little) your business participates in social media, you can always count on someone doing the talking for you.

Unfortunately, when soured customers, disgruntled employees, fierce competition, etc., are given the opportunity to voice their opinions to the world (via social media), things can start looking bad for your business rather quickly.

Fear not, here are some basic steps you can use to protect yourself from the bad guys:

• Monitor social media for any comments and reviews about your business. You can search Twitter, Google and other websites for particular mentions on your business, brand, product lines, etc.
• Consider subscribing to a social media monitoring service.
• Register your website/business with all online listing, mapping and review websites such as Google Places, Yelp, CitySearch, etc.
• Make sure your online listings are 100% complete and accurate. Monitor them for bad reviews.
• Have a plan in place if someone leaves a bad review. Sometimes, a negative review can be removed, if it violates the website's terms of service.
• Respond according to a negative review and try to fix the problem through the review site. This shows the public you are willing to solve the "problem."

If negative company news is announced or several bad reviews pop up, you may need to engage an online reputation management services firm to counteract bad news.

Why Your Competition Is Kicking Your Butt: SEO Tactics, Tips & Helpful Advice - No. 173

Why is your competition stomping you in Google search engine rankings?

There could be several factors, including:

• Your competition is optimizing their website internally or using an SEO firm.
• Your competition is always looking for opportunities for SEO improvements. 
• Your competition has better Page Titles and other important tags.
• Your competition is incorporating keywords on relevant pages.
• Your competition is earning inbound links to their website.
• Your competition is blogging.
• Your competition is participating - at least on some level - in social media efforts.
• Your competition is utilizing online advertising with Google Adwords, Facebook advertising, etc. to generate additional traffic and conversion opportunities.

And you're doing nothing but complaining.

Sorry, but Google doesn't care that your site looks better or that you think you're the best florist, restaurant, lawyer, dentist in town.