Redesigning your website to be more search engine friendly?  Don’t forget these important SEO tips to help your new website attract more qualified visitors and provide a user-friendly experience:

1 – Do your research.  Find out which keywords are being searched for most in your industry.  The key is to find keywords with a high search volume, yet low competition on the web.  Check your competitor’s websites.   Are they optimized with keywords?  Do they have a blog?  Do they have a News page?  How big is their site? Be sure to stay one step ahead of the competition.

2 – Create unique, keyword-rich metatags for each page of the website.  These tags are an important factor in ranking well on search engines.  Metatags allow you to tell the search engines what each page is about.

3- Develop web pages focused on each of your main keywords.  Professional web content writing makes a substantial difference in visitor retention. Unique and relevant content on your website will help your site rank high in Google searches and can often be linked to by other sites and spread throughout the Internet via social media outlets.  Search-optimized content helps to “catch” the prospects interested in your most profitable products and services.

4- Don’t forget your sitemaps!  Xml sitemaps help ensure that search engines know about all of the pages on your site, including URLs that may not be discoverable by the normal crawling process. An html sitemap is similar to a table of contents for your website.  It lists all of the pages of the website, and is meant to help users find the information they need.

5- Analytics – Now you’ve got a great looking, search optimized website, but are you measuring your results? Installing an analytics program can give valuable information, including the number of visitors, length of time on the website, geographical location of visitors, pages viewed most, keywords used to find the website, traffic sources, etc.

6- Lastly, promote your website using online public relations, social media sites, online directories, trade organization sites and traditional media.

Now that the dust is settling on social media a little, it’s time to  think about what it can mean for your business. Initially, people  flocked to My Space and Facebook because it was viewed as a new  technology “toy”.  Many of us have reconnected to people that we  hadn’t spoken to for over 20 years and had done a little social “voyeurism” to  see what they’ve accomplished and what they look like now. The most powerful  thing to me about social media is that people respond to it. This is  meaningful, because the interpersonal sales effort is all but dead.  People don’t pick up the phone and seldom respond to email these days.  A post on a Facebook wall can elicit a response instantaneously however.

No one really “needs” to connect to someone they haven’t had a desire  to talk to in twenty years, but it is an interesting phenomenon.  Networks help us in all kinds of ways. The saying, “It’s not what you  know, it’s who you know” holds truer today than ever. Building a  personal network through Facebook and Linked In build top of mind  awareness for your personal “brand” and may help to unearth new  opportunities for business. This may mean reaching out to past  friends, casual acquaintances and business contacts. Once your network  is well established, you may ask “friends’ to “like” your business on  Facebook. This has the effectiveness of a third party testimonial and  builds a foundation of trust in the online community. Encourage  testimonials on your Linked In page to leverage selling opportunities  there. It’s time to start building your network for success; all it  costs is a little time.

The Internet has revolutionized the marketing world.  In fact, online marketing initiatives are arguably more powerful and affordable than traditional advertising strategies because of the wider reach the Internet offers.  Not everyone watches the same television or reads certain publications, so marketing towards traditional media forms exclusively can cost companies thousands (if not more) in potential lost revenues.

One of the most popular online marketing strategies is utilizing online distribution for articles and press releases.  Just a few of the benefits of online article and press release distribution include:

1.  Spending much less than on traditional radio, television or print advertising.  Internet marketing, while still competitive, is much more affordable than traditional media advertising (probably in large part because print and broadcast media have been steadily losing advertisers for the past several years, and they have to make up for that by charging more for the space and time they do sell).

2.  Reaching an immediate audience. The Internet is immediate so the second you release an item for publication, it’s already attracting your target audience.  Even better is that your audience could be in the millions, simply because you’re not just targeting a small group in a specific demographic, but anyone in the world who is interested in your product/services/area of expertise.  Potential buyers seek you out through a “pull” strategy as opposed to the traditional “pushing” of a message.

3.  Establishing your name as an industry expert. The Internet has given anyone the power to be an instant author AND gain credibility as an expert, and publication is often as quick as pressing a submit button.  If you can reach reputable sites or establish a respected blog, you can instantly boost your industry credentials. 

Websites are now the core of any company’s marketing program. It’s the 24-hour storefront that never closes. It’s a resource of information enabling the showcasing of products pictorially, in video and in text. This is changing the face of marketing, which use to be a “push” message that utilized persuasion to educate prospects. With the web, the control has shifted to the consumer’s hands; they need a product, they research it on the web and then make the inquiry if interested. Attaching Google Analytics or some other web metrics to your site can provide a wealth of marketing intelligence that is often overlooked. Want to know how prospects arrive on your site? Which products they view most frequently? Which pages hold the most interest? Which geographic regions are hitting your website most frequently? It’s all in analytics.  And best of all, you can segment time by day, month or year and even do comparisons to past months or years. The consumer has control, but you can develop a better strategy to attract them with heightened attention to your analytics.

Google Analytics has a feature on its dashboard called a “Bounce Rate.” This is one of the key metrics in web analysis. Essentially, it is the percentage of times that someone “bounces” almost immediately when they find your site. A bounce rate of over 40% is cause for concern. It may mean that your site doesn’t captivate the audience quickly, causing them to look elsewhere for services. To improve your bounce rate, make certain you are appealing to the right prospect with relevant keywords and content. Another way to quickly engage the prospect is free resources in the form of white papers or other useful tools that will help the browser. Blogs can actually hurt a bounce rate. If your blog has regular readership over time, it may mean that browser’s show up to read the blog and then immediately depart. This act alone could adversely affect your bounce rate. Check your analytics over 12 months, make the appropriate changes to your site and begin to assess it on a monthly basis to test improvement.

Selecting the right keywords for your website is essential when optimizing for search engines. Many people think that adding basic keywords to their website will do the trick. Not true. For example, a website promoting “vacations” should not optimize their home page with the word “vacation”. Your chances for ranking for such a basic, highly competitive word are slim (unless of course you’re a company like Expedia, with a page rank of 7!). If you were to specify the type of vacation you are promoting, such as “all-inclusive family resorts in the Bahama’s”, you’re chances for search engine success are much greater. This is known as a “long-tail keyword phrase”. You are still promoting vacations, however, you are targeting specific, pre-qualified visitors. Did you know…. The highest conversion rates from search engine traffic come from people typing in three to four word search queries?

Tips for Keyword Success:

• Select keywords that have a moderate level of search volume, yet have low competition.

• Optimize using keyword phrases, not just single keywords.

• Use main keywords in url’s for maximum optimization.

• Take time to do keyword research. Brainstorm. Visit competitor’s websites.

Take a “keyword test”. Google specific keywords that you would like to rank for. Is your website listed in the top 10 results? Who is?

Charles Stewart Contract, a long-time X-Factor public relations client, hired us to compose a case study regarding a recent project.

A case study is a detailed account of a company, person or project over a given period of time. It describes a problem or challenge that a company may have faced, and their process for solving the problem.

The Charles Stewart Contract case study was used to showcase their clients’ need for a specific product, and the company’s ability to meet that need. Through targeted media distribution, the Charles Stewart Contract case study has been featured in several furniture publications to date, as well as through online media (Yahoo News, PR Web, etc.).

Distributing case studies using both online and traditional media, as well as posting it on the website, allows readers to easily locate it not only through traditional means, but also on the Internet. Remember, when creating case studies, it is important to optimize copy for search using targeted keywords.

Why are case studies valuable? They provide readers with the opportunity to identify with the company, review a challenge that the company faced and their strategy for creating a solution. It allows readers to review management decisions, strategies, challenges, recommendations, etc. It builds credibility for your company, spotlights valued customers in a flattering light and can position you as an expert in the industry.

You tackle challenges every day. What have you learned that can benefit others?

You’ve probably been to a Chinese restaurant and seen menus with illustrations of animals representing the Chinese New Year – dragons, tigers, rats, etc. 2009 is the Year of the Ox. Unfortunately, the Ox is not strong enough to pull us out of the economic quagmire we seem to be trapped in.

2009 could also be considered the year of the “frozen budget.” Firms that previously thought they had money to spend on promotions this year, for one reason or another, now don’t. These tough economic times call for accountability and Return On Investment. Senior management wants assurance that slim budgets can be stretched, and dollars spent will relate directly to lead generation.

Many of our clients are swapping the old branding model that has been around since the 1950s, i.e. “Throw enough money at mass media so your consistent messaging will be seen by the audience,” for more targeted efforts. Specifically, they are meeting the market where the market is shopping for services- Google, MSN and Yahoo.

Branding is for awareness, while response marketing and Search Engine Optimization are for lead generation. The difference is vast!

Here are some reasons search marketing is ideal.

• Affordability. Search marketing is more targeted and less expensive than multi-media branding efforts.
• Accountability of measured results and conversions to provide senior management.
• The Internet is how purchasing agents and everyone else researches products and services.
• Random search provides a far better Return On Investment than traditional advertising.
• The Internet offers the opportunity to publicize your products to the world.

Target your efforts and generate real leads for Return on Investment with search marketing today.

Completing the Web Optimization Services Loop

“I’ve worked in the private sector. They expect results.” – Dr. Ray Stanz

Times are tough, budgets are tight, and clients are scared.

“Who you gonna call?” No, not Ghostbusters, even if many folks are running around looking like they just saw a ghost. If you’re looking to build your online business and remain relevant and visible when the fear subsides, you’ll call who you trust and know to be reliable now.

For us in the web marketing business, we understand that providing flexible, reliable and 100 percent ethical SEO and internet marketing services is critical, whether you’re a programmer, designer or internet marketer. Let’s face it though; we can’t be all things to all people.

Those that are investing in internet marketing are going to need the full gamut of web optimization services, i.e. good backend programming and CMS, attractive and functional web design, and reliable and effective search engine optimization copywriting services.

If your business provides either of the first two services but not the third, you’d be doing your client a disservice by not steering them to a reliable web optimization consultant to complete the loop. What good is a “great” web site if nobody knows about it?

We at X-Factor Web Marketing have developed a Referral Program through which we want to create a network of trust and business partners in the web business community. Here’s a sampling of how it works:

• $300 paid for referrals that invest $2,500+ into X-Factor’s services (one-time payment)

• Reciprocal referrals will be provided as appropriate – we value trusted partnerships

• Reliable and ethical, or “white hat,” SEO services provided to all clients

It’s as much about building trust and providing clients with what they need as it is making money. Not coincidentally the two tend to go hand in hand.

Don’t let your clients and your business become ghosts in today’s scary market place, refer in confidence to an internet marketing business that produces results and keeps your clients’ highly visible rather than fading away, well, like a ghost.

Web optimization, often referred to as search engine optimization (SEO), should be an integral part of your internet marketing strategy. As with any new(er) product, service or technology, it takes time to work out the kinks and get it right. This process is Darwinian in nature, as individuals and businesses of all shapes and sizes claim to be internet marketing specialists, all of which undoubtedly market themselves as providing “top search engine results.”When evaluating your internet marketing strategy and choosing web site optimization consultants going forward, consider these seven deadly sins of web site promotion that can condemn your business to the inferno of irrelevance that is Google’s basement.

• “If you build it, they will come.” – Well, maybe. Optimizing your site is not a one time cure all, it’s an ongoing process. Your site is a living, breathing part of your business – constantly feed it with quality content and optimized materials so it will grow and remain relevant on the organic search engine results pages (SERP’s).

• Flashing sites – Try and avoid a Flash-based web site. Flash sites might be attractive, but not to search engines and users. Search engine “crawlers” can’t read Flash content and therefore can’t index it – not good for your business.

• “Noticeable search results in two to three weeks!” – Once you’re finally convinced to invest in web promotion services, you hear this phrase from dozens of “social media experts.” Don’t fall for this sales pitch. It takes time to get your site to the top of the search engines like Google, but it’s worth the effort when done correctly.

Did you know? – Google puts all newly indexed web sites into its “sandbox” where they are monitored for months before being permanently added to its database…there’s no breaking in line kids.

• Keywords and Key Phrases are two different things – Your regional furniture distribution business will not compete for the word “furniture” on Google – too much competition. Work with your internet marketing consultants to develop tightly targeted phrases that apply to your services, i.e. “Furniture distribution business in High Point, NC.”

• Already wearing too many hats? Try this white one – “White hat” SEO, or ethical and search engine approved web promotion is where you should be investing; don’t sacrifice your business’ long term reputation by cutting corners for short term results.

Still tempted by instant gratification? Read how BMW was banned from Google for “black hat” SEO (unethical/unapproved web promotion)

• Don’t be a bad neighbor – Link to other quality sites that your visitors may find as useful resource tools. The reciprocal links that may be created will also help increase your Google ranking and placement on other organic search pages.

• “Public Relations + Search Engine Optimization = Success” – Combine public relations with your web site optimization strategy for increased search engine results and new business inquiries. It’s one thing to apply key phrases and other web promotion techniques to your web site; it’s another to effectively market your web site and business in a credible, compelling and relevant manner.

Consider online press releases, SEO copywriting services, regular blog posts, online articles, newsletters and how-to’s, etc.

It’s a lot of work, but nobody that knew what they’re talking about ever said success comes easy!