The Internet is an important purchasing resource for both retail and business-to-business buyers. Every day half of Internet users use a search engine. As a result, businesses need effective search engine marketing to remain competitive.

Google is the dominant search engine receiving over 70% of Internet searches. Strong search positions can generate substantial revenues. How strong are your Google search positions? Do you wonder why you are not doing better on Google?

Content is what drives search positions. Effective search engine optimization starts with keywords strategically placed in Web site content.

But more importantly, success on Google requires content that holds your visitor's attention. That is because Google measures how long someone stays on a site after clicking a search result.

An effective strategy for success with Google that also works well with buyers is creating informative content that educates your visitors to make better buying decisions. Content that grows their knowledge will hold visitors longer. Educating your visitors will establish you as the expert. So when it is time to buy, you will be given top consideration.

This strategy worked for a long-time client of E-Power Marketing that does metal finishing, an industry seriously impacted by the problems of the auto industry. Strong content optimized for search engines opened the door to new customers from companies who never would have otherwise heard about our client.

The client's vice president of marketing told me, "a major medical manufacturer found us on Google. He contacted us because he read on our Web site a new process to save on gold plating. This generated the best diversification of our capabilities."

Informative content optimized for search engines is where you need to start if you want success on Google. Focus on strong content and you will find it easier to get the search positions you're looking for on Google.

Strong, informative content will also motivate others to link to your Web site. Links from other Web sites are another factor that impacts Google search positions.

In other words, success on Google starts with strong content.

Labels: Organic SEO, SEM Back to Basics

Talking with as many decision-makers as I do, I know it is hard to select a Search Engine Optimization agency. Few business people know what to ask or what to look for.

Google can guide your decision with useful information on how to select an SEO agency. Click on this link for Google's advice for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

I could not agree more with Google advice. Here are excerpts:

Many SEOs and other agencies and consultants provide useful services for website owners, including:
• Review of your site content or structure
• Technical advice on website development: for example, hosting, redirects, error pages, use of JavaScript
• Content development
• Management of online business development campaigns
• Keyword research
• SEO training
• Expertise in specific markets and geographies

If you're thinking about hiring an SEO, the earlier the better. A great time to hire is when you're considering a site redesign, or planning to launch a new site. That way, you and your SEO can ensure that your site is designed to be search engine-friendly from the bottom up. However, a good SEO can also help improve an existing site.

Some useful questions to ask an SEO include:
• 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?

While SEOs can provide clients with valuable services, some unethical SEOs have given the industry a black eye through their overly aggressive marketing efforts and their attempts to manipulate search engine results in unfair ways. Practices that violate our guidelines may result in a negative adjustment of your site's presence in Google, or even the removal of your site from our index. Here are some things to consider:

• Be wary of SEO firms and web consultants or agencies that send you email out of the blue.

• No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.
Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a "special relationship" with Google, or advertise a "priority submit" to Google. There is no priority submit for Google.

• Be careful if a company is secretive or won't clearly explain what they intend to do.

• You should never have to link to an SEO.

• Be sure to understand where the money goes.
While Google never sells better ranking in our search results, several other search engines combine pay-per-click or pay-for-inclusion results with their regular web search results. Some SEOs will promise to rank you highly in search engines, but place you in the advertising section rather than in the search results. A few SEOs will even change their bid prices in real time to create the illusion that they "control" other search engines and can place themselves in the slot of their choice. This scam doesn't work with Google because our advertising is clearly labeled and separated from our search results, but be sure to ask any SEO you're considering which fees go toward permanent inclusion and which apply toward temporary advertising.

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I hope this sound advice from Google helps you select an effective Search Engine Optimization agency for your business.

Labels: Organic SEO, SEM Back to Basics

As your buyers shift to the Internet, you will find that your online marketing budget can outperform the traditional advertising you had been buying. Not only can online marketing generate more sales than traditional advertising, it also allows you to use tools that will improve your Return on Investment on an ongoing basis.

Web Analytics measures Web site traffic and visitor activity. Analytics identifies from which search engine or Web site a buyer or lead came from, the search words used by the buyer to find your Web site, and the Web page that motivated the buyer to take action. You can see how many pages visitors are viewing and how long they stay on your site. These are important metrics for understanding how well your site is engaging visitors.

Analytics identifies the online marketing activities that are generating the best Return on Investment. You will know which money-making efforts to focus on, while scaling back or eliminating efforts that do not yield sales or leads.

Google offers an excellent Web Analytics system that is free of charge. Google Analytics provides comprehensive statistics giving you a window into the behavior of your visitors. It provides information to guide your efforts to boost your Web site's functionality, lead generation and sales conversions.

How can Analytics improve your Web sales? You can track where your sales came from for a better understanding of ROI. Use it to identify when and what page people leave your site from. What can you do to keep them longer? Is navigation guiding visitors to take the actions you want? Where in the sales process are potential buyers leaving, and what can be done to change this?

Take advantage of Web Analytics to measure and improve your Web site's results. You will be rewarded with more return from your marketing budget.

Labels: Google Analytics, SEM Back to Basics

Savvy businesses know the value of search marketing as more consumers and companies use the Web to make their buying decisions. A strong presence on search engines will give you a competitive advantage to grow your sales.

The Web has changed buyer behavior. Before the Web, marketers primarily pushed their sales message to buyers. Now you need to pull your audience to your Web site and close the deal.

This change in buyer behavior requires that your Web site thoroughly explains your products and services. You need to make your site's content stronger than your competition. Buyers using the Web may want to learn as much about you as possible before they contact you. Inform and educate your target audience to establish yourself as the expert. Summarize the topic of each Web page in the headline and first paragraph for those who want only top line information. Use keywords in your content to tell your audience and the search engines what your Web pages are about.

In-depth information gives your audience reasons to stay longer on your Web site. Google determines search position relevancy by measuring whether someone who clicks a search result stays on the search result or returns and clicks on another search result. In other words, Google measures the "voting" behavior of its audience ? the searchers. By providing thorough and informative information, you will enjoy much better search visibility on Google, as well as stronger response from potential buyers.

Now that you have your audience on your Web site, you need to convert them into buyers. Are you asking your visitors to take an action? How easy is it for a visitor to buy or contact you from your Web site? How easy is it to find your products to buy or to contact you? Test the process yourself. Think about what you can do to make it easier.

Take these steps and you will enjoy stronger online sales. Do these well, and you will beat your competitors.

Labels: Organic SEO, SEM Back to Basics

Many want to know, what is the secret formula to get to the top of Google? Well, there is no secret formula. It is simply a matter of having a Web site with strong content that informs and engages your target audience, and motivates others to link to your Web pages.

Google Engineer Adam Lasnik explained the value of content for Google search visibility well:

"People underestimate the huge importance of having creative and compelling content. People need a reason to go to your site."

"Sell widgets? Post thoughtful, helpful comments on blogs that talk about the care of widgets, traveling to see widgets, widget troubleshooting, etc. Be a part of the online community.

"If you don't make an effort to engage others or -- worse -- simply put up a flashy (or contrastingly boring-as-heck) Web site that's an island unto itself, why SHOULD others care, much less visit?"

In other words, you need strong content to earn Google search positions. You have to give your audience reasons to visit, explore the site, then return to it. A Web site that is nothing more than a brochure in an electronic format will not earn search visibility. You need to give visitors thorough information about your business.

Then go beyond that.

Educate your audience about your industry to establish yourself as the expert. Give them reason to come back by adding new informative content on an ongoing basis.

You need to ask yourself:

- Why should someone visit your Web site?
- Do you show and say what makes you special?
- Do you benefit the visitor beyond pitching them for a sale?
- Do you demonstrate that you are an expert?
- Do you engage the visitor?

In the content, you need to use the keywords that you want to be found on search engines. Those keywords need to be relevant to that Web page's content. But don't overuse keywords. Use the keywords naturally in the page title, headline, body copy and links that point to that page.

Strong content attracts links that search engines reward with better search positions. Using strong content is the most effective linking strategy. Build quality links naturally is hard and takes time. But it will result in long-term solid search visibility.

Labels: Organic SEO, SEM Back to Basics

The power of research is endless when it comes to search engine marketing. Not only can you see what your competitors are doing, but what gaps your business may be missing as well. There are countless free tools available that provide you with data within seconds. From search positions to traffic to conversations on Social Media Web sites, the info is all there. The question is, how your business will use this information?

Here are 5 of my favorite free online research tools:

http://www.spyfu.com/
Spyfu allows you to lookup a domain and view both organic and pay per click details. Organic keywords and rankings, keywords being targeted on Google AdWords, estimated spending on Google AdWords as well as organic and PPC competitors. Spyfu is free, however if you subscribe (paid) you can view a larger set of key phrases and stats than the free version.

http://www.twazzup.com/
Are you on Twitter? Are your competitors on Twitter? Whether you are or not, you should research and see if your company and products are being discussed on Twitter. If they are, then you should start building a presence on Twitter and take advantage of the direct line of communication you can create with your customers. If your audience isn't there yet, chances are they will be sooner than later. Twazzup is a free tool monitoring conversations on Twitter. Type a phrase or domain in and see the latest activity surrounding that topic or URL.

http://www.whostalkin.com/
Social Media is exploding, so stay tuned in to what others are discussing in regards to your industry, business and competitors. Whostalkin allows you to enter a key phrase or URL and search various News sources, Photo Web sites, Videos, Forums and more from one interface. The biggest mistake a company can make is not monitoring what is being said and taking advantage of creating relationships with customers and potential customers.

http://www.compete.com
Compete will provide you with general traffic estimates for Web sites. They are not 100% accurate however the overall trends typically are. So the next time you get a weird link request for some new directory, go check it out on Compete and really see if it's as great as they say it is. Compete is free. Create a free account and you are able to use a few more features than without the account.

http://www.google.com/alerts
Google Alerts allows you to get alerts when Google discovers news, links, or content around your chosen key phrases or domains. You have the ability to have alerts delivered through email (daily, weekly or as it happens) or a RSS Feed. Set up Google Alerts for your domain to track new links as well as your competitors. You also should create alerts on your most important key phrases as well as other industry terms to monitor the buzz of the industry.

Labels: Organic SEO, PPC Advertising, SEM Back to Basics, Social Marketing

Google Webmaster Tools provides a great deal of insight into your Web site's online visibility on Google. Not to mention the vast amount of data it provides regarding what Google's search bots find crawling and indexing your Website. You will know about any errors (broken links, XML errors, etc.) that Google is finding. Take advantage of the direct information Google provides you about your Web site such as backlink reports. Although not a complete list of all the backlinks to your Web site, it does give a good baseline to measure from.

Within Google Webmaster Tools you can also view crawl dates, any content issues, internal link counts, set your preferred domain, top search queries, HTML suggestions, XML errors, set a geographic region by country and the list goes on.

More times than not, someone will go through the simple process of verifying Google Webmaster Tools and submitting a XML feed, never to login in again. If you have a Google Webmaster Tools account, be sure to at the very least login monthly and review any errors. If you don't have an account, we strongly recommend you create an account and verify your Web site.

Don't let this valuable information go to waste! Remember, your online presence is at risk.

Labels: SEM Back to Basics

If any of you wonder why I have put so much energy into exposing the LocalAdLink scam and warning those considering LocalAdLink, refer to this comment from Blogger Kira_la on LocalAdLink - Is this unknown search directory worth advertising on

> "The $700 I invested may not seem like much to some people, but as a single mom, it makes me sick thinking about how many groceries I could have purchased with that and new school shoes. When I signed up for LAL I made sacrifices to do so because I wanted to improve my kids' lives and better our family financial future. Instead, I made things worse.

> "There have been times over the last few months that I have not wanted to go on. The stress from having my hopes dashed and the disappointment I feel from letting my children down is more than I can take. I see the big corporate people at LAL talking about how successful it is without actually backing it up. It makes me sick."


The LocalAdLink scam makes me sick.

Kira_la, I wish you the best of luck finding new ways to support your family. Your energy and enthusiasm will pay off with a company that provides a legitimate product or service. Unfortunately, LocalAdLink does neither.

Fortunately, LocalAdLink's false advertising is catching up with it. The LocalAdLink scam is in the process of collapsing.


See:
Another One Bites The Dust
http://messages.finance.yahoo.com/Stocks_(A_to_Z)/Stocks_B/threadview?m=tm&bn=93151&tid=645&mid=645&tof=1&frt=2

> "This will be the last email from this member site and the site will be shut down effective immediately.

> The reason for this decision is based on the following observations that are ProAdLink's opinion.

> 1. Checks are nearly a month behind AGAIN with some top producers reporting being owed as much as $10,000 or more in commissions.

> 2. No real live customer or rep support via telephone. Reports from the field are not good with regards to the new CRM. They still produce canned replies and nothing gets handled in a timely manner as promised.

> 3. Most important, the ads themselves are not giving a real, tangible return on investment to the endline user. The "geo targeting" is not accurate (ads pulled via an IP address 90 miles away is not local).

> The above three bullets are ProAdLink's opinion and you are free to decide whether or not you agree. But ProAdLink will no longer endorse LocalAdLink until these matters are resolved.

> Checks must go out on time and not bounce.

> Customers and Brand Builders must be able to pick up the phone and resolve issues with a support rep.

> You must be able to sell an ad to any small business in any town in the country and be able to show the business owner how he has benefited from that ad. The benefit would be real local people coming into his establishment from finding the ad online.


Apparently ProAdLink was one of the largest sellers of LocalAdLink. That they no longer endorse or will work with LocalAdLink is quite revealing about how LocalAdLink takes the money and returns nothing.

ProAdLink's Web sites have been taken offline:
www.proadlinkteam.com
www.training.proadlink.info

Also see:
LocalAdLink reps optimize for "LocalAdLink scam"

LocalAdLink is for the Greedy to Take from the Gullible

Search Marketing Scams to Avoid

LocalAdLink traffic dropped 1/3rd in June


Bye-bye, LocalAdLink. Do your executives have enough money left for attorneys?

Labels: Organic SEO, PPC Advertising, SEM Back to Basics

More often than you'd expect, keywords are not used within the main navigation of a Web site. You see "Who We Are", "What We Do", etc. Using generic words within your navigation hinders your organic search visibility. Instead of "What We Do", say what you actually do or what products you sell. "Books", "Investment Consulting", etc. Take advantage of free keyword research tools such as Google AdWords Keyword Tool, to find the most searched and relevant key phrases for your products / services and then use those phrases within your Web site's navigation.

Search engines follow links. That's how they crawl through your Web site and the Web as a whole. Search engines take the text for each link into great consideration. The links' text assists search engines in categorizing what your Web site is about and its overall focus. The link text is also used by search engines in determining how your Web site will rank within the search results.

All other factors null, a Web site with key phrases within links on the main navigation will have higher organic search visibility than a Web site that does not.

Labels: SEM Back to Basics

The trend is clear. The Web changed everything. Certainly marketing will never be the same.

Newspapers are dying because the Web provides faster, more in-depth information. Online retail sales are exploding. A generation has no idea what magazine bingo cards are.

The Web is the best way to connect with your audience. How well are you doing it?

Consider The Two Secret Ingredients to Search Marketing Success. They are Engagement and Commitment.

Are you engaged and committed on the Web? Are you reaching out on the Web engaging your audience to gain feedback so you can conduct business more effectively? Are you committing the resources to educate your audience about better ways of doing things so they look to you as the expert? Are you committed to strengthening your presence on the Web?

If you are not, know that some of your competitors are. In the process they are gaining a competitive edge on the Web. Can you afford to be left behind your competitors on the Web?

Labels: SEM Back to Basics, Social Marketing

I blogged LocalAdLink ? Is this unknown search directory worth advertising on? because it is easily confirmed that LocalAdLink's claim of "millions of visitors a day" is fraudulent. Even LocalAdLink's own press release stated that its visitor traffic for March 2009 was only 500,000.

I felt an obligation to warn people that this service would not deliver the traffic it claims, making it expensive with little return. Most know how marketing on the Web is important, but few understand how it works. This makes too many business owners gullible to sales reps promising results, especially if the reps are their friend, family or search marketer.

LocalAdLink's MLM get rich scheme energized greed in tens of thousands of people. Even search marketers who should have analyzed LocalAdLink traffic and seen that the claims are malarkey pushed this product.

I really question the competency of search marketers who offer LocalAdLink. Either they do not understand how search engines operate, or they are greedy. Either way their clients who bought LocalAdLink should fire their search marketer.

To search marketers pushing LocalAdLink, why are you selling this? Why do you think LocalAdLink is ethical search engine marketing? If you claim it is generating traffic, please provide data.

See more recent Blog posts:

LocalAdLink reps optimize for "LocalAdLink scam"

LocalAdLink Scam is Collapsing

LocalAdLink traffic dropped 1/3rd in June

Labels: Organic SEO, PPC Advertising, SEM Back to Basics

Stuffing keywords is NOT Search Engine Optimization

Many self-proclaimed search engine optimizers believe the way to win search positions is by stuffing keywords in meta-tags and hidden content. Many buyers of search engine optimization believe meta-tag keyword stuffing IS search engine optimization. The problem is these techniques do not work.

This week I was asked to review a Web site's search optimization. I found hidden keyword links set up in place of quality search optimization. There were three levels of programming used to hide the content on this particular Web site.

1) DIV tags set up to hide content

2) Comments tags

3) White font on white background

Hidden content to win search visibility was effective in the mid-1990s, but stopped working by 1999 with search engines' automated detection of these techniques. Some search engines such as AltaVista actually banned sites using unethical techniques such as these.

Yahoo may still ban sites practicing such "gaming" techniques, as Yahoo does not include the site I reviewed last week in its search index. The site is indexed by Google. But the only search position is for the site's unique name. MSN indexes the site but gives it zero search visibility as the site does not appear even for searches of its name.

The hidden SEO on this Web site is the work of a Web developer who touts its search engine optimization expertise. Where did these faux search optimizers learn these ancient techniques? What made them think these outdated tricks work?

When you are seeking search engine optimization experts, make sure the people you are considering are transparent about the techniques they will use. If they tell you they win search visibility through strong visible content and linking, then continue considering them. If their SEO focuses on stuffing keywords and meta keywords, cut your losses and look elsewhere.

Successful search engine optimization today needs to go beyond the use of keywords. SEO requires content that enriches the user experience. "Gaming" tricks do not do that.

Labels: Organic SEO, SEM Back to Basics

A client recently asked for my opinion about LocalAdLink, a search directory that I had never heard of. My Blog post last month Search Marketing Scams to Avoid recommended against "Advertising on search engines you have never heard of."

LocalAdLink describes itself as "The easiest and most affordable way to advertise online." LocalAdLink claims "It comes to $49, $99 or $199 a month to be seen by millions of people a day." Those are strong claims. Are they true?

First I searched my 2,000 emails from the last 16 months from search engine newsletters and groups. Not one mention of LocalAdLink

I searched SEOmoz. There was only one mention, a comment skeptical about the service found on "The Growing Case for Flat Fee Advertising."

Search Engine Land had no mention.

Therefore, it seems to me that search marketing professionals have never heard of LocalAdLink. Or, if they have heard of it, they don't believe it warrants discussion. And with promises as lofty as "millions of visitors a day" you'd think Search Marketing professionals would have a lot to say.

Where does LocalAdLink attract million of people a day? LocalAdLink claims, "We are pro-actively pushing your listing out through our partner websites. Your listing can be seen on some at the most popular websites, search engines, and social networks in America. Some of these include Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Ask.com, Earthlink, YouTube, GMAIL, About.com, Napster, PGA.com, Redbook, Hollywood.com, Monster.com, MySpace, Linkedln, Friendster, Bebo, Hi5, Orkut, MiGente and B00Mj."

My! That is impressive! I had to see what they were doing.

I tried to find LocalAdLink on Google, Yahoo, YouTube or LinkedIn. I could not find the ads.

I checked with SpyFu for clues. SpyFu claims LocalAdLink advertises with Google AdWords. The LocalAdLink ads on Google go to LocalAdLink, not the LocalAdLink advertiser's Web site.

Is LocalAdLink counting its Google ads and where Google Content Network ads display as "our partner websites?" That seems like a stretch to me. However there are search engine marketing firms who make that questionable stretch as well.

Is LocalAdLink capable of delivering "millions of people a day" to its advertisers? The evidence does not support its claim.

Compete estimates LocalAdLink had 332,256 visits in March 2009. Though Compete's numbers are ballpark estimates, 10,000 visitors a day is less traffic by a factor of 100 times. This is traffic across the nation. That means, with LocalAdLink claiming 14 million businesses, each business averages .0237 visitors a month.

Quantcast estimates monthly traffic of 123,000. Alexa ranks LocalAdLink at 19,601, a nice number but indicates traffic is nowhere near "millions of people a day"

In other words, my analysis of LocalAdRank makes me conclude that $49, $99 or $199 a month is a lot of money to spend for little to no traffic to your Web site.

As I wrote last month, "If a salesman wants you to advertise on a search engine that you have never heard of before, don't do it."

See more recent Blog posts:

LocalAdLink is for the Greedy to Take from the Gullible

LocalAdLink reps optimize for "LocalAdLink scam"

LocalAdLink Scam is Collapsing

LocalAdLink traffic dropped 1/3rd in June

Labels: Organic SEO, PPC Advertising, SEM Back to Basics

The Internet Advertising Bureau released a press release stating "Full-year 2008 revenues totaled a record $23.4 billion, exceeding 2007's performance, itself the former record of $21.2 billion, by $2.2 billion or 10.6%. By comparison, a variety of sources indicate weakness in overall advertising spending. The Nielsen Company, for example, reported that U.S. advertising for the full year 2008 was down 2.6% compared to the full year 2007." So not only is Internet Advertising growing at a faster rate than any other advertising medium ever has, it is also remaining strong in our current economy while other advertising channels are struggling.

So why has Internet Advertising taken the world by storm? Probably because it has the ability to target, measure and motivate action in the same channel. Where else in advertising can you find the assortment of offers and instant opportunities to buy?

Most other forms of advertising are fairly passive. You happen to hear a radio ad on your way to work. It's hard to avoid a television commercial. Even when those advertising mediums spark interest, how often do they actually spark action? I can't begin to count all the times I've seen a TV commercial for a product I was interested in, that I never got around to actually purchasing. I'm sure I'm not alone in that boat. The Internet however, is another story. It is almost too easy to see an ad, click on a link, and end up filling a shopping cart before I know it! On the Internet, customers are more engaged, and more likely to buy.

Internet Advertising lets you have more control over your budget than other advertising mediums. You are able to test your ads' effectiveness, practically in real time; so that you can make the most out of what you're spending online.

The Internet has powerful tools that help you justify what you spend online. Web analytics can showcase marketplace feedback, budget activity and ROI numbers almost immediately; can you say the same about your other advertising mediums?

With number and charts like these, it's easy to see why and how Internet Advertising has gotten to be as popular as it is.

Labels: SEM Back to Basics

Whether for defensive branding purposes or some other reason you have multiple domains for your Web site. No problem right? Not necessarily. Unless your domains are properly set, they can hinder search visibility.

Back in 2006, Google released their patent and deep inside; it stated how Google reviews a Web site's DNS details to help eliminate spam; therefore, why you need to be concerned. The good news is that you can easily get all of your domains aligned and properly setup, eliminating your need to worry.

Implement the following steps to keep your multiple domains from becoming an arrow in your search engine marketing efforts side:

• 301 redirect all other domains to the main domain


• Align the following DNS details for all domains. (All domains must have the exact same information for the below attributes)


• Administrative Contact


• Technical Contact


• Name Servers


• Focus all of your linking efforts on the one main domain


• Focus ALL efforts online and offline around the one main domain

Labels: Organic SEO, SEM Back to Basics

Effective search marketing is valuable for growing business. Done well, search marketing can be the most efficient and effective form of marketing available today.

However search marketing is not well understood. This opens the door to a variety of scams. From reading my junk email and talking to search marketing sales people whom our clients direct to us, search marketing scams are more prevalent today than ever. I also fear they are bagging too many clients who have no idea that they are being taken.

So avoid these common scams:

• Unsolicited emails...
  Ignore all unsolicited search marketing emails. When I check the sender's email address and contact information, they often do not match. When it is possible to check the domain of the sender's email, I usually find no Web site, a Web site "Under Construction" or a Web site with a Google PageRank of 0. These are not credible organizations. Stay away.
  

• Guaranteed top search position...
  The only way to guarantee top search positions is to buy Pay Per Click Advertising ? Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing or MSN AdCenter. If the seller claims some "proprietary method" or a "special relationship with Google," run away. These are fabrications.
  
  There are search marketing companies that do guarantee top search positions by using PPC. Make sure they are being honest with you about that. Then check your search positions to verify that the ads you are paying for are actually displaying.
  

• Advertising on search engines you have never heard of...
  If a salesman wants you to advertise on a search engine that you have never heard of before, don't do it.
  
  There is one so-called "search engine" that will manufacture fake traffic to your Web site for two or three months. Then a salesman will call you. He will ask you to look at your traffic reports and point to all the traffic his "search engine" is sending to your site. He claims "Advertise with him and you will have more traffic." Tell him, "no." Then look two months later at your traffic again. You will probably see that "search engine's" traffic disappeared. Don't worry. You lost nothing.
  
  Another "search engine" wants you to buy ads that they guarantee to place at the top of searches for the phrase you buy forever, with a yearly service charge. This "search engine" has no traffic. Save your money.
  

• Submitting your site to "hundreds of search engines"...
  Automated submissions of Web pages to search engines have long had no impact on search visibility. Despite that fact, there are many services still offering to submit your site to not only Google, Yahoo and MSN, but "hundreds of search engines." I could never find "hundreds of search engines." Can you name even twelve?
  
  Save your money and skip services that submit your site to search engines.
  
  Search marketing is a reputable way to grow your business, as long you entrust the job to reputable people. Demand that your search marketer's strategies are transparent to you. Don't buy into the quick and easy strategies. Effective search marketing is neither quick nor easy. There are trustworthy professionals who have made search marketing their careers. Those are the search marketers that will get you the long-term effective results you deserve.
  

Labels: Organic SEO, SEM Back to Basics

There is plenty of free information about search engine optimization on the Web. Some of it is accurate. Much of it is outdated, incomplete or plain wrong. Trying to sort through which is which requires full-time devotion to sorting out effective techniques from the garbage.

Practical Ecommerce conducted a survey "SEO is Both Important and Misunderstood." Its findings reveal how deceptively easy SEO looks when you research the topic on the Web.

"Only 25.6 percent of the merchants surveyed had ever hired a paid SEO professional to help them. Many of the respondents said that SEO services were just too expensive for their company or that they believe there was enough information available for free to do a good job without professional help or training."

"Unfortunately, it was also clear that many of the merchants surveyed did not understand the difference between good SEO tactics and questionable, even unethical, practices. 53.9 percent of those surveyed said that keyword stuffing, another poor and potentially unethical practice, was at least somewhat effective."

I commonly find poorly search optimized Web sites where it was obvious SEO was attempted. Bad page titles are typical. Page titles are your most important SEO tool. Many sites rely on over-stuffing keywords in meta-tags. That is not effective at all today.

Too many top Webmasters still rely on outdated, ineffective SEO. In the past six months, twice I found on brand name Web sites hidden text links for Cialis, Levitra and Prozac that point to the brand's product pages. These links were not the work of hackers. Nothing else on the site indicated any mayhem committed by outside forces. Optimizing for popular pharmaceuticals that you do not sell is as effective as optimizing for "sex." What's the point?

In other words, time to get serious. Search engine optimization is too important to be playing games. Unless you practice SEO full-time, including measuring results and taking steps that lift your search positions up and keep them there, you would be better off with professional search optimization services. Professional results will pay for themselves.

Labels: Organic SEO, SEM Back to Basics

Time. Something we all wish we had more of. There are never enough hours in the day. As in all good things, time is a main attribute needed in a search engine optimization program. Without time, an SEO campaign cannot fully develop and flourish. Therefore you need to give an SEO program time before seeing results. An SEO campaign is not a quick fix for traffic problems. It is a long term project that needs to be given time to kick in, take hold, and yield results. You need to understand the process of Search Engine Optimization, and give your SEO campaign an adequate amount of time before jumping to conclusions on whether it was successful or not.

Believe me; we understand you need proof that the budget you got approved for a Search Engine Optimization program is or will deliver results, especially in these economic times. However, that is not done with a snap of the fingers. Search Engine Optimization is an ever changing, interactive field, and when an SEO campaign begins, it takes time to really take effect for a Web site. That's not to say that optimization is done and then your SEO team will sit idly by to see if what they did works. Often times, steady progress on optimization services are what will gain the most results for you. Time needs to be a driving force in any organic search engine optimization program. Use caution if another search marketing company tells you otherwise.

With a SEO campaign, you are committing to a long term program. The time it takes for an organic search engine optimization program to fully work to its capacity depends on many factors. Not only is your Web site's history, inbound links, content, interactivity, etc. factored into success, but the search engines themselves require time as well.

If new or revised content was added to your Web site or technical issues hindered the ability of search engines to properly crawl your Web site have now been corrected, you must now allow the search engines themselves time to properly crawl and index your newly optimized Web site. Typically the search engines crawl Web sites within a few weeks, however depending on the depth of your Web sites original state; this could take up to 2 ? 3 months.

Now, let's say you launched a strategic linking or a Social Media Marketing program with your SEO campaign. You must provide time for the search engines to crawl all those Web sites you now have now gained links with. This could take a few months before your Web site is properly credited with popularity from those new inbound links.

Lastly and most importantly, Google rewards trust. More than anything, history and trust are by far some of the largest factors in Google's search positioning algorithm. You cannot gain trust quickly. It takes time.

Overall, you need to allow your search engine optimization program at least 6 months to begin performing at the level it can perform in the long-term. A year is a much better comparison. The search engines have compiled their algorithms in this manner to prevent quick, spam techniques from being successful. A trusted Web site provides more to the search engine's ultimate customer, the end user.

Labels: Organic SEO, SEM Back to Basics

Search engine marketing, specifically organic search engine optimization, cannot be effective without quality content. It just can't work period. Yet, this is one of the biggest challenges faced with a search engine optimization program.

Search engines are really simple creatures, they're robots, computers. They follow links and read the visible text on your Web site. Without visible text, there's not much left for them to read, therefore not much for them to rank your Web site for.

Once a set of target key phrases is established, you need to then be sure your Web site's content supports those key phrases. If your content doesn't use the key phrases you choose, you won't rank organically on the search engines for them. Search engines still also seem to prefer more content than less. Therefore, elaborate on your products or services. Give visitors something to read and something they want to read, all while using the target key phrases you would like to rank for. Now keep in mind, simply putting gibberish online with your target key phrases will not work either. You need to offer visitors and the search engines quality content.

Yes, there are many other factors that go into your search ranking for a specific term, however through all the smoke and dust, content is still a large part of the equation. As they used to say and still holds true - Content is King!

Labels: Organic SEO, SEM Back to Basics

To start the SEM Back to Basics Tips I decided to take a step back to the Title tag. The Title tag is part of a page's meta-tags and is displayed within the top bar of your browser. The Title tag is not only a factor within search positioning, but also is used within search result listings as well.

Simple Title tag tips to keep in mind:

1) You have limited space (try to stay under 15 words). Use your key phrases at the beginning and company name at the end. Example: Search Engine Marketing Agency - E-Power Marketing

2) Don't waste valuable real estate with words like "the" or "and".

3) The words / key phrases you use within your Title tag should be used on the page in visible text. Images don't count.

4) Keep your Title tag relevant and unique to that particular page. Stuffing a bunch of keywords that have nothing to do with the content on that page won't do your Web site or search rankings any good. If the page is about brooms, then your Title tag should reflect that.

5) Each page on your Web site should have a unique Title tag, even the Privacy Policy. Though chances are, you won't have key phrases within the Title tag; it still should have its own unique title. Example: Privacy Policy - E-Power Marketing

6) Add interest to your Title tags. Again, the Title tag is usually picked up within search result listings, so you don't want it to be a rambling of key phrases. A user needs to be intrigued to click through to your Web site. Give it some spice!

7) Don't write in all caps. It looks like you're yelling. Capitalize the first letter of every word or follow normal sentence structure.

8) Don't set "Page Not Found" or non-titled pages to use the same Title tag as your home page.

Happy Title writing!

Labels: Organic SEO, SEM Back to Basics

Welcome to the SEM - Back to Basics section of E-Power's Continuing Saga of Search Engine Marketing Blog! Within this section you'll get the tips, advice and recommendations you need to jump-start your Web site's SEM! An SEM campaign can be a multifaceted and pretty complex process. At E-Power Marketing, we'd like to help your company get a jump start on the process. Many times when a search marketing agency is hired, time is spent on getting the basics of the website in order. This postpones the start of a more advanced, and more innovative SEM campaign.

The purpose of these posts is to help you get your Web site ready for more advanced search engine optimization techniques. By following the tips and advice we post in this section, you can work to minimize the time your search marketing agency will need to spend on the basics. This will allow them to skip right into more complex search marketing practices. You'll see results more quickly and also have a better understanding of the world of SEM.

5 Free Online Research Tools - SEM Back to Basics Tip #8

Take Advantage of Google Webmaster Tools - SEM Back to Basics Tip #7

Use Target Key Phrases Within Navigation - SEM Back to Basics Tip #6

The Internet Is the Place to Be - SEM Back to Basics Tip #5

Handling Multiple Domains - SEM Back to Basics Tip #4

Give Your SEO Campaign Time - SEM Back to Basics Tip #3

Content, Content, Content - SEM Back to Basics Tip #2

Don't Leave Out the Title Tag - SEM Back to Basics Tip #1

Labels: SEM Back to Basics

Organic SEO

• Don't Sabotage Your Online Search Visibility


• Big Picture Marketing


• 10 Often Overlooked SEO Tasks


• 10 Common SEO Mistakes - Don't Let This Be You


• Page Speed Gets Added to Google Webmaster Tools


• What Can You Do for Working Moms?
  


• A Season of Change...


• Mobile Web Taking Over?


• Two Secret Ingredients To Search Marketing Success


• 14 Ways to Write a Press Release for Search Engine Marketing


• "Gaming" Search Engines to Win Ranking assures You Lose


• Search Marketing Scams to Avoid


• Don't Panic


• Free SEO Information is Inadequate and Often Wrong


• Where is SEM Headed in 2009?


• Race for the Light - A Chilly Fundraising Adventure!


• Food Drive Success!


• Why Different Types of Search Engine Optimization Do Not Work


• What Will the Holidays Mean For Your Company?


• SEO & SEM - Different or the Same?


• Using SEM to Build Competitive Advantage in a Down Economy


• Managing Change - Dealing with Resistance When Moving Forward


• Target Keywords Your Market Searches - Not What You Think They Search


• Corporate Culture, SEM and You


• Google Webmaster Tools Gives "Too Many Redirects" Message


• Importance Of Proper Redirects


• Will Two Problematic Search Portals Figure Out How To Do It Right Again? MSN & YAHOO!


• Learn From Your Competitors To Build A Strong Search Marketing Program


• Why Your Web Developer Should Not Implement Your SEO


• Local Search Marketing Basics


• Site Maps Explained


• Looking Back At Search Engine Optimization


• What's Good For Humans Is Good For Google


• Yahoo! Introduces Robots-Nocontent Tag


• Sitemaps Made Easier


• 10 Issues To Consider When Reviewing /Designing Your Web Sites Architecture


• Search Engine Rules and Aligning Domains


• SEO Considerations When Selecting An E-Commerce Or Content Management System

PPC Advertising

• Improve PPC with Google Analytics Integration


• Google AdWords - How About Total Control Over Geo Targeting?
  
• Google - Just a Little More Transparency Please


• Yahoo Search Marketing Changes to TOS


• Optimizing AdWords ROI - Google Analytics Tip #3


• Measuring Your Site Targeted Campaign On Google


• Yahoo Launches Quality Based Pricing For Their Content Match Product


• Are Pay Per Click Results Measurable?


• Google Introduces Two New Pay Per Click Beta Features


• Should You Be Worried About Click Fraud?


• Google AdWords Quality Score Update


• The New Yahoo Search Marketing And You

SEM - Back to Basics

• 5 Free Online Research Tools - SEM Back to Basics Tip #8


• Take Advantage of Google Webmaster Tools - SEM Back to Basics Tip #7


• Use Target Key Phrases Within Navigation - SEM Back to Basics Tip #6


• The Internet Is the Place to Be - SEM Back to Basics Tip #5


• Handling Multiple Domains - SEM Back to Basics Tip #4


• Give Your SEO Campaign Time - SEM Back to Basics Tip #3


• Content, Content, Content - SEM Back to Basics Tip #2


• Don't Leave Out the Title Tag - SEM Back to Basics Tip #1

Social Marketing

• 13 Tips for Optimizing your LinkedIn Profile

• Let's Go Viral!
  

• Social Media and Brand Positioning
  

• Social Media Marketing - This Year's Hottest Holiday Accessory
  

• Tweet Easier


• User Reviews: An Integral Part of Your Social Marketing Program


• Social Media Marketing is on the Rise...


• Where is Social Media on the Internet Headed?


• How to Get your Business Started on Facebook

• Facebook Usernames and You
  

• 10 Tips on Using Twitter for Your Business


• 11 Tips for Creating a Blog


• Linkbait?


• Flickr Adds No Follow to Links


• Social Marketing Do's and Don'ts


• 10 Things To Keep In Mind With Social Media Marketing


• SMX Social - NYC Oct. 16 & 17 Recap


• Getting Dugg On Digg

Google Analytics

• Using Advanced Segments in Google Analytics


• Using Filters in Google Analytics


• The Basics of Google Analytics White Paper


• Google Analytics Annotations


• Improve PPC with Google Analytics Integration


• Google Analytics Intelligence: A Great Way to Stay Current with Your Google Analytics Program


• What is Mobile Analytics?


• New Changes for Google Analytics


• Segmenting Google AdWords by Hour in Google Analytics - Tip #7


• Measuring More than 20 Goals in Google Analytics - Tip #6


• Setting Up Goals in Google Analytics - Tip #5


• Filtering Internal Traffic - Google Analytics Tip #4


• Optimizing AdWords ROI - Google Analytics Tip #3


• Researching Popular Tags - Google Analytics Tip #2


• Link Tagging - Google Analytics Tip #1

Link Building

• Google Webmaster Tools Reports Broken Backlinks


• Link Popularity - Page Specific NOT Site Specific


• Anchor Text Upgrade In Google Webmaster Tools


• Content - The Most Effective Linking Campaign


• Google Webmaster Tools New Link Feature

E-Power News

• Blog Action Day 2009 - Climate Change


• E-Power Marketing and the Oshkosh Community Pull Together to Save the Grand Opera House


• E-Power Donates a Grand for the Grand


• E-Power Marketing turns 11 years old!


• Race for the Light - A Chilly Fundraising Adventure!


• Food Drive Success!


• E-Power Marketing Sponsors Oshkosh Area Food Drive


• Blog Action Day and Hunger in Winnebago County

Contributor Bios

• Larry Stopa


• Andrea Schultz


• Justin Tadych


• Adrian Schaal


• Craig Bollig


• Sara Hansman

Continuing Saga of Search Engine Marketing Home

Labels: E-Power News, Google Analytics, Link Building, Organic SEO, PPC Advertising, SEM Back to Basics, Social Marketing