You need the right tools to build a strong, reliable house. This principle also applies to building a well-optimized website.

In search engine optimization (SEO), we use a multitude of tools to provide us with an array of information about any site. This information is crucial to all SEO activity because you will know what the competition is doing, understand what should be done based on best practices and have a clear guide of the next steps.

The tools SEO professionals use can be costly to use effectively. However, unless you’re starting an SEO practice or getting serious about your company’s SEO efforts, you can use these free tools to get started. Read More...

The golden rule in search engine optimization (SEO) is “content is king.” Your content will ultimately make or break your site. You can employ every SEO trick in the book but in the end, without the content to push your site forward, your site will not rank well.

This is where a blog comes in handy. When properly executed, a blog is a living community where content and conversation is constantly flowing. Blogs are not intended to sell a product; they are intended to interact with your audience on a personal level. Users tend to trust a blog more for this very reason. The comment section is an additional boost where you can develop a conversational relationship with your readers. This open communication adds further credibility in your aim to be a good blogger and creates additional content for a search engine will crawl.

Unfortunately, blogs are so prevalent that you now have to differentiate yourself from the crowd. You have to stand up and get noticed. If that’s not currently happening then you’re probably asking yourself one big question: How can I get more traffic to my blog?

Read More...

“What is a search engine?”

This simple question is the most important question a person can ask when beginning the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) process and one that every client should ask their search engine specialist to ensure that their tactics are on target.

The image above provides a visual representation of a search engine. What we see is a user (the fisherman) looking at the Internet (the ocean) using a search engine (a fishing pole) to find a Web site it can use (a fish).Search engines sift through the endless sea of Web sites and information to provide the results you are seeking.

In this we find the connection between both search engines and SEO: both are working to provide the user with results (or a nice evening meal).

Knowing what a search engine is and how SEO works, I encourage you to go to your Web site, look around and ask yourself the following:
1. What are you doing to swim better than your competition?
2. What are you doing to be caught by that search engine?
3. If a user finds your site, are you really going to satiate their appetite or will they have to go fishing again?

Read More...

Recently, Google added new search features to its search engine, making it easier to find more focused and relevant information through categorized results. A new “Show Options” link allows users to define their search criteria by categorizing results into options such as videos, reviews and most recent results.

Below is an image of a search results page in Google if we searched for “web design and development Cleveland.” In the far left corner, you will notice the new “Show Options” link.

 

By clicking on the “Show Options” link, the following page appears. A new column on the left presents options to narrow down search criteria by time or type. Instead of simply reading a page description about a Web site, users can read more of the site’s content.



How does this new feature affect search marketing?

As a result, the importance of targeted, concise and current Web content is more important than ever as this content determines whether users will click through to view the page in its entirety. Allowing your site to get old and outdated is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. With the Internet, the term “old and outdated” doesn’t mean decades or years. It means months or even weeks.

Sound Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practices have always dictated that there is no rest once a site is running well and providing results. The goal of search marketing is to take what is performing well and make each Web site better, faster and stronger. This is achieved by updating content, adding new pages, discussing interesting topics and providing new information.

Fresh Web site content that engages the user can be achieved by:

• Updating the Web site’s title tags
• Refreshing existing pages with new content, up-to-date information and relevant keywords
• Adding additional pages for new products, services or information
• Reviewing site analytics and removing pages that aren’t bringing in traffic, have low view time or high exit rates

Google’s new search engine functionality reinforces how important it is to update Web content regularly. Your Web site should be a mirror image of what your company is and what it stands for. Keeping your content relevant is just one way for you and Google users everywhere to like what they see.