I love Internet marketing because each day I learn something new and discover more SEO tools that make my job easier. As an avid Internet user and passionate online consultant, I try to forward these tips onto others. Today my tip is Google Insights for Search. As usual, Google continues to provide free and valuable tools to webmasters and online marketers. Their Google Insights for Search tool allows users to view search volumes, geographical hot spots, and search volume increases. For my example search, I selected “marketing”. Internet marketing scored fourth with online Read more
Why SEO Experts Think Google is Googlelicious
Posted in: Googlelicoius | August 19, 2009
You don’t have to be an SEO expert to know Google rocks. In fact, with the exception of exiled black hat consultants, most search engine optimization companies will give very positive feedback on Google’s search results and overall service offering. And this isn’t because we are fearful of Google. It is because Google makes it easy for companies to market their products and services via the Internet and Google wants companies to succeed in their marketing efforts. If we succeed at optimizing websites properly and by the rules set forth by Google, Google’s results will be more Read more
Top Ten Reasons I am Falling in Love with Matt Cutts
Posted in: Search Engine Optimization | August 18, 2009
10. He knows SEO. 9. He knows SEO and is informative. 8. He knows SEO, is informative, and entertaining all at the same time. 7. He is a geek. 6. He is a geek and was an Internet geek way before it was cool. 5. He is a geek, was an Internet geek way before it was cool, and manages to make money while pursing his passion. 4. He loves cats. 3. He loves cats and lets his cats work with him. 2. He loves cats, lets his cats work with him, and proudly displays this to the world. 1. He makes me look normal. Read more
Wise Businesses Watch Google Search Trends
Posted in: Internet Marketing | August 13, 2009
A very wise business owner I know frequently talks about search volume and search trends when discussing Internet marketing and in particular search engine optimization. He is a data guy, an entrepreneur, and a highly technical individual who always looks beyond simple numbers to peek behind them or even in front of them. He wants to see changes before they occur and wants to know the future so that he can react quickly. He is smart and has used this business practice to ride out storms and downturns. That being said, we Internet marketing consultants know that this request is not Read more
Are You Calling Me Ugly? The Quest for Seach Friendly URL’s
Posted in: Search Engine Optimization | August 4, 2009
Successful Internet marketing and search engine optimization involves a large-scale project that includes a number of steps, tasks, and owners. Keeping the process in check and the plan moving forward takes experience and attention to detail. One of the most common elements of the plan that can be forgotten or missed is the use of quality URL’s that are search engine friendly (SEF). Ugly or Just Confusing? Some may question if a given URL can be ugly, but to Google and other search engines, a URL can be as ugly as the shirt your grandmother gave you on Christmas. More importantly, Read more
This Ain’t Your Nephew’s Blog
Posted in: Blog Management | March 19, 2009
Blogs, schmogs. My nephew blogs. They're for kids. Why does my company website need a blog? This string of unfiltered comments is a realistic example of the response I receive when spewing the virtues of business blogs. While many smart and intelligent businesspeople question the purpose of blogs, they do server a tangible purpose and they are important to the overall success of a corporate website. The most common misperception is that blogs are solely written and read by the teen set or worse, by unsocial computer nerds who blog about topics no one ever reads. This thought process is 100% Read more
What is Organic SEO? I’m Not Talking About Cows!
Posted in: Search Engine Optimization | March 17, 2009
A friend of mine asked what organic meant when discussing SEO (aka search engine optimization). Well, I've paraphrased his question because his words were not quite suitable for my online readers. Regardless, he was confused by the term and so are many small business owners. To my friend, the farmer, organic means the remains left behind by his cows. While the term means something entirely different, it does stem from the same concept. When discussing Internet marketing, organic means natural. It refers to the process of driving website traffic (aka people) to your domain (aka www dot Read more
If SEO is Important, Just Start Wagging Your Tail
Posted in: Search Engine Marketing | March 14, 2009
If search engine marketing and optimization is important and fast results are a requirement, long tail keywords are a critical element to driving increased traffic to your website. What are long term keywords? They are very focus keywords or phrases that are highly targeted to your target market or product and service offering. The downside is these phrases is that while being very targeted, the also offer lower overall visitor traffic. This inherent negative is quickly replaced by the extremely focused website visitors that do find your site. I will use my husband to illustrate this Read more
If You Build It, They Will Come
Posted in: Internet Marketing | March 3, 2009
When it comes to conversations on search engine optimization and Internet marketing, by far, one of my all time favorite comments was "but I thought if you build it, they will come." This was made by a co-worker of mine some five or so years ago when we were discussing our corporate website. We then sat down together and had a frank, one on one discussion about designing websites that are both beautiful to view and easy to reach via a Google or Yahoo search. Developing a world class website provides little value if no one finds it. If you are the thought leaders of your industry and you Read more