Sunday, January 25, 2009

SEO Keyword Strategies For Sound Web Optimization



I have spent a lot of time, 5 years plus, in the Internet business of Search engine optimization. Over the years I have learned many a tricks some learned some self taught, all of which I plan to share with you on this blog. It is important to understand that an average net user likes to keep it simple and that his search for information is usually hinged on generic terms.Your target audience must be clear. For general audience just a generic keyword would do but for a more specific audience the generic keyword must become a keyword phrase for it to register in the ranking list for that type of audience. For example, if you type Java, it will give out a search result for coffee, programming language et al. Java when targeting programmers would yield better, more focused results if a keyword phrase Java programming was put in. The language of the reader is an important input for example for the English speaking world reading from top left hand corner comes naturally but for an Arabic reader it is from right to left.

Usually, an average reader loses interest after about 250 words. So a good keyword strategy would be to put in the keywords starting from top left hand corner and in the first 250 words.Search engines typically have these parameters as the building blocks. The other parts of written text which find favor with Search Engines are the title, paragraph and sub headings. Search engines also have a preference for bold and italics compared to normally typed words. These are important parameters to factor your SEO keyword strategy. It is a known fact that some keywords are more popular than others but are also being sought more competitively in web page rankings. So it may well be a better strategy to choose lesser popular keywords which may help your website rank higher on a search list. There is a very close similarity between keywords and movie stars. They have a shelf life, their five minutes of stardom. So what was a 'buzzword yesterday may be out of fashion today and thus may not figure in the ranking list of search engines. Some search engines give out a search volume number on hitting a keyword. This is a useful tool in estimating what volumes can be generated by a particular keyword. Old software such as Word Tracker is still useful in finding out which words are mostly being used. These are some of the tips for a good start in the SEO business.



Friday, January 23, 2009

SEO Campaign Management Easy as 1,2,3



A great website can be truly instrumental to making many sales. Perhaps you are not very web savvy, and you would like to know how to boost profits. The answer is SEO campaign management.

The purpose of an SEO is to increase the number of visitors that come to your site. This is done by tweaking the ranking of your site in search engines like Google or Yahoo. This higher ranking will allow users to see your site first, which will make them more likely to go to it. Typically, the increased traffic on your site will boost sales considerably.

Hiring an SEO firm is your best bet, because SEO campaign management can be complicated to laymen.There are many factors involved in SEO. Overhauling the design of your site is one strategy that an SEO campaign might use. The job of SEO campaign management is to know what will be most pleasing to the eye and easy to use for customers. With your help or independently, an SEO could either fix up a few minor details in the site or redesign it completely, it is up to you.

Linking potential customers to your products can also be done by identifying and using relevant key words. If your business is travel based, an SEO might include key words such as travel, flight, deals, or international to direct web searchers to your site and services. An SEO campaign can use different formulas in order to insert these key words and in turn, increase your site ranking on search engines.

Analyzing where you want to go with your business in the future can be beneficial during an SEO campaign.Perhaps you do not even have a web site yet. Often it is easiest to start fresh with professional help than to salvage an already existing site. However, an SEO management campaign can work with you any way you want to go.

As follows are some final tips for overseeing an SEO management campaign. One tip is to seek out a reputable SEO firm. Asking around to other businesses is a good idea, because you can find out who they used, what the pricing was, and what was included. Another tip is to be as active in the campaign as you want to be. If you want to have a big say in what the site and content are, make sure that is known from the start to the SEO. Third, you can do your own basic research. Search your own site in a search engine, or key words you have used. See where your site comes up on the list, and discuss the changes you want.



Saturday, January 17, 2009

Are DC SEO Firms More Reliable



The web is undoubtedly the most lucrative marketplace for any businessman today as it does not require a seller to stock what he is selling or maintain a show room in select pockets of multiple nations to be classified as elite. Every segment sees an increment of thousands of new pages and hundreds of new websites launched every year, making it a more complex and tightly fought market than the real markets. Websites of all sizes have to depend on search engines to send quality traffic and targeted customers their way as no form or size of an ad campaign can match the quality of targeted traffic a search engine generates. The reason being that a search engine sends users who are actually looking for the service or product which a website is selling.

Research conducted on search patterns over the years has proven that a majority of searchers never look past the top twenty search results. Search engines like Google used advanced technologies that almost always deliver the most relevant results to a search query on the first or second page at the most. Since there are quite a number of players present in every segment it becomes an uphill task for website to make it into the top twenty results and hold its position. The solution is Search engine optimization which tries to increase the number of visitors to a site.

Search engine optimization is the process of analyzing a website, its client and target markets and the competitors to redesign it in such a manner that the search engine robots rank it high among the search results for a query. This requires professional expertise and combined efforts of several individuals or teams. It is critical to find the proper SEO company as one wrong technique is enough to have you banned by search engines like Google who have a strict policy against techniques that are used to misguide search engine robots into identifying a site as important. If you have no idea how to go about it, it is best to put your money on a company from around where you live, in my case I would be looking for a Washington DC SEO company.

There are a number of Washington DC SEO companies operating on the webosphere too and it still does not make it any easier to find a DC SEO company that is more reliable than the one around the corner. One way to identify a firm that is no good is by closely scrutinizing their claims. Instead of a firm that guarantees you top position, start by looking for one that promises to get you 'closer to the top' instead right away. To look for a DC SEO firm should be your first step, there are several players DC SEO players and one should meet your requirements. It is easier to verify its credentials and double check its list of claims, results advertised about past projects and testimonials of a company based in the same area as you.

Most of the DC SEO firms may be no different than the ones half way across the globe in China or India as there are set principles of tweaking and optimizing a site for best placements. However, some DC SEO companies may have devised their own unique approach thereby being able to provide their clients far better results than others. Some DC SEO firms do have their own set of techniques to get an edge over the others. It is therefore totally up to us to figure it out which firm would be able to best meet our requirements and this, no doubt, needs research.Therefore, you need to investigate deeply before selecting a DC SEO firm to identify the one best suited for your website. It is easy for a DC SEO firm to analyze and deliver on your localization requirements as they belong to the same area and understand the same much better than firms from across the globe.

As per your requirements, a DC SEO firm can also conduct pay per click or link building campaigns for you in addition to SEO. DC SEO companies would be relatively easier to locate and cross check for credentials and past track records. To conclude, an experienced webmaster from the DC area recommends selecting a DC SEO firm that can best meet your needs if you are based in Washington DC too.



Friday, January 16, 2009

How To Optimize Search Engine Marketing



Search Engine Marketing firms are helping business professionals in marketing to increase traffic to their websites. New customers can be gained thru Search Engine Marketing strategies. It has now been reported that there are now 213 million daily searches being done on the Internet using a search engine. Search Engine Marketing firms can help drive that traffic to your site. Ninety out of every 100 people online will use a search engine each day.

When you use a search engine it will bring up a list of websites pertaining to the word that you entered into the search box. If you know about search engine marketing, you will know that you want to have your Website come up on the first search engine page result, or SERP. By being quickly found by the search engine marketing placement on the SERP, businesses will greatly benefit by increased sales and traffic to their site.

If you want to increase your profits by using search engine marketing, there are two ways to do it. The first way is to do it the natural way by using keyword placement. Paying for your website to be placed on the left had side of the SERP is the second way to do it. For best results in optimizing your search engine marketing strategy, use a Search Engine Marketing firm.

70% of the time, the user will prefer the natural SERP. They tend to click on the paid ads as a last result. Only those who have paid for advertisements will be on the left hand side. So to get noticed on a search engine, key words are the best way to get listed on the first SERP. This is why Search Engine Optimization is becoming so popular.

Search engine marketing in today's business world, makes good business sense. The internet is being used more and more by people to order merchandize. People who have tapped into this vast new customer base are greatly increasing their business income. The best way to get started in search engine marketing is to contact a search engine marketing firm for help. These firms are expert marketing professionals who have a proven tract record in getting your website placed on the optimal search engine result page.