27 posts categorized "Google Rankings"

January 27, 2012



Blogging
We talk a lot about the importance of blogging to create online brand presence and while that is true there is a component of the blog that is often times overlooked.  In short, a blog is a social experience which builds community around one’s service or product.  If a business views their blog this was online brand presence is greatly enhanced.  If they see their blog as a way to increase search engine rank or make a sale online brand presence will be slow in attaining.

A blog might seem like a lonely task, information only going in one direction, from the writer to the audience, but in fact it is an online conversation.  A recent article explained just how important the social aspect of blogging really is to building an online brand presence.  Within the article several tips were given for small businesses to keep in mind when writing blog posts.

Online Brand Presence through Blogging – Communicate

The audience is every bit as important as the writer as a blogpost is a conversation not a lecture.  A post should pose questions to the audience and expect answers in the form of comments.  One relatively new way to engage readers and promote comments is to add social media buttons to each post.  These are small Facebook ‘like’ and Twitter ‘tweet’ buttons that allow readers to send a link to the blog post to their respective social media account.  This is one of the best ways to create and maintain online brand presence available today.

Online Brand Presence through Blogging – Content

While the content will be ultimately determined by one’s industry there are certain topics that readers do not want to see in a post. Small businesses should refrain from technically complicated (above their average audience’s knowledge) information, bland industry news and vulgarity.  Controversial topics are great if they are not too divisive.  Controversy can be a great conversation starter or it can be damaging.  Topics should be part of the overall social media plan with controversial topics one possible strategy to increase online brand presence.

Once a small business gets the hang of writing a blog and is beginning to see involvement from their target audience it is time to take their writing to the next level and seriously begin working on their online brand presence.  By becoming aware of subtle manipulations to one’s company’s blog can make the time invested writing and maintaining it well worth it. Building and creating online brand presence is a job all in itself and when a business works smarter they reach their goals quicker.

January 13, 2012



Now that we are squarely in 2012 everyone must begin to look to the year ahead and how to better their enhanced online visibility.  New reports of what to expect in every industry are coming out by the bucket loads.  After reviewing the predicted trends in industries related to enhanced online visibility we’ve pulled a view that are worth mentioning.  The biggest prediction we have noticed has to do with Google and the changes predicted in its algorithms used to determine rank. 

Google is going to battle in 2012 with those who manipulate the algorithms to get ahead.  They are focusing on the quality of web content rather than the quality.  Up until this point to raise one’s rank and enhanced online visibility in the process more pages needed to be added to a website.  Google interpreted that as good because obviously a company who has many pages has a lot to say.  Well, we all know that necessarily isn’t the truth.

There is a fine line between manipulating search rank algorithms and using guidelines to increase one’s likelihood of receiving a higher rank creating a more vibrant enhanced online visibility.  We have tried within the posts of this blog to feature tried and true ways of competing in the brave new world of online marketing by building an online brand presence and enriching enhanced online visibility.  These trends noted in the 2012 predictions (not the end of the world predictions) are in concurrence with our advice.  In short, to achieve an enhanced online visibility companies must devote the time and experience necessary to get the job done right.

Now that the Google Panda is onboard with this ideology we expect some big changes in 2012.  First of all, things are going to get more competitive.  As Smartphone activations are growing exponentially more and more people are utilizing search engines making those top ranks even more coveted than ever.  As Google and other search engines are realizing the underhanded schemes to improve rank through less than honest methods and begin cracking down on such practices new less than honest practices will emerge confusing companies even more.

Again, we fall back on do the job right.  There are no shortcuts to creating an enhanced online visibility.  There is no magic trick that one can do to become an overnight search engine sensation.  Creating a viable enhanced online visibility is possible for any company if they stick to the tried and true methods and heed advice given by the experts in the field.

January 11, 2012



Personal_brand
This entire blog is devoted to helping companies and individual business owners develop and maintain an online brand presence.  Contained within pages and pages helpful articles are all kinds of tips and strategies gathered from some of the best marketing and SEO marketing firms and specialists in the world.  Anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis has by this point recognized themes – advice we repackage and reword time and time again in an effort to stress their importance in building an online brand presence.

Well, we feel vindicated.  Recently PRWeb reported in an article the top SEO tips and trends for 2012 as predicted from some of the world’s best companies.  Within the list are topics we just can’t discuss enough in this blog aimed at helping create an online brand presence.  Here is a simplified summation:

1)    Keyword Optimization and Research – companies must do thorough research into what keywords customers and potential customers are sticking into search engines when looking for services and products.

2)    Linking – There is simply no easier way to build an online brand presence than to link, link, link. 

3)    Social Media – Companies expecting to compete in this day and age must develop a strong online brand presence through social media.

4)    Forum Commenting – Perhaps one of the easiest and most affordable ways to promote an online brand presence is through participating in online communities by commenting on forums and other blogs. 

5)    Review Submissions – Providing well-written, thought provoking reviews of products or services in one’s industry is a great way to link.  Most of the time the reviews will be posted with a link back to one’s company.  Online brand presence is built and rankings are raised.

These are just five of the recommended best practices for companies wanting to improve their rankings on popular search engines and in turn increase their online brand presence.  Although all of these tips seem relatively simple they do require time and dedication, something many companies honestly do not have available.  To get the job done right hiring a professional may be the best decision.  After all a strong online brand presence will bring in far more revenue than the cost of any SEO or marketing expert.

January 04, 2012



Blogging-tips
Often companies turn to building a blog to create their online brand presence.  If nothing else they believe it will attract a few more customers.  While blogging can have quite an effect on increased online brand presence it must be done right.  One of the issues those new to blogging are guilty of is only including text in each post. 

Of course the text is the most important part of a post and a lot of focus in the area of SEO marketing in regards to crafting one’s online brand presence is spent fixating on the content of a blogpost it is not the only thing to include in a post.  Each post should have at least one non-text item like a photo, multimedia item or video. 

Online Brand Presence and the Blog – Pictures

Adding a picture to every post is easy and effective.  The Google Panda loves pictures and it will, if other components of a great blog are in order, raise ranking on Google search. While any picture will do try and choose one that best suits the material being discussed.  If a photograph of merchandise is a good choice, throw it in.  Otherwise, there are plenty of great free pictures available on the internet life creativecommons.com.

Online Brand Presence and the Blog – Video

 Not only does adding a video to a blog post add ranking value but it also adds quality and a level of professionalism.  If one adds just any video to the post in an effort to increase ranking and online brand presence it will probably get flagged and suffer a penalization from Google and other search engines.  More importantly if customers of a company take the time to read the blog and then are subjected to a pointless video they feel used.  It’s just not worth it.

Instead only add a video if the video adds value to the post. Most companies keep video of conferences, meetings and how-to guides for products.  Even a commercial may fit a particular post.  The main thing to remember when incorporating video into a blog is that one must think creatively and put the readers’ interest as top priority – not Google rankings.

All in all, any company serious about beefing up their online brand presence through blogging should take the time to do it right.  Adding video and pictures is a great and easy way to start.  If one does not have the time or desire to devote the required effort to creating and maintaining an effective blog they should hire a professional well-versed in SEO marketing to deliver a stellar online brand presence.

January 03, 2012



Blogging-in-business
Most companies focused on creating an enhanced online visibility have been convinced of the value of adding a blog onto their website.  Unfortunately, their blog is not doing all that it can to produce the enhanced online visibility for which it was designed.  There are several common errors companies make with their blog that can easily be fixed with a little dedication and time.  For companies whose blog problems are because of a lack of both time and dedication considering hiring a professional company to maintain the blog might be the best solution.

For everyone else, there are a few things to try before calling in the professionals:

1)    Blog Often – There is nothing worse than a spotty blog for creating an enhanced online visibility – one that posts randomly with huge gaps between dates.  Try to commit to at least three posts per week.  The posts do not have to be novellas, but just something interesting .  If you try to post boring filler your audience will know and desert you.

2)    Take Advantage of Guest Bloggers – No one like to post every day or every other day.  Similarly your audience doesn’t want to hear your opinions all the time unless you’re a celebrity.  By inviting a guest to post every now and then you shake up the blog and impress search engines.

3)    Link Carefully – Don’t go crazy with the linking.  Yes, links are vital to a successful blog and an enhanced online visibility but if you go nuts you will only offend the delicate Google Panda and cause guests to never click on your links.  When reading through a new post consider what YOU would like to click on to learn more about.  Then link appropriately.

4)    Write About Real Issues – A golden rule for writing of any genre is to write what is interesting. If it’s not interesting to the author it sure won’t be to the reader.  Even if you are the primary blogger for your website and therefore responsible for enhanced online visibility and are getting sick and tired of writing about your chosen industry day after day, boring posts are not okay.  Find a new angle.  Take a break.  Do whatever you need to keep every post fresh and interesting.

A blog might seem simple in theory but in reality it takes a lot of work to do it right.  The payout for a blog done right, however, is exactly what every company needs to build an enhanced online visibility.  All companies need to be honest with themselves and decide if they can handle blogging for enhanced online visibility or if a professional is needed to do it right.

December 29, 2011



Youtube-see-us
For a while now all the experts have been throwing out suggestions on how to increase rank on search engines.  Incorporating video into one’s website or online brand presence is just one of the ways to do this.  Many people are confused by how to do this and intimidated by the thought alone and therefore avoid it in lieu of simpler methods of increasing online brand presence like starting a Twitter account.

We understand the intimidation and would like to simplify the process for all those companies that wish to improve their online brand presence but have yet to step into the exciting world of video.  Before setting up the webcam and shooting the first movie every company should understand exactly what how powerful YouTube is and what it can do for their online brand presence.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

And words are worth quite a lot as well which is why YouTube is such a great marketing tool.  By combining both companies are able to give customers a behind-the-scenes look at their company.  Companies can use video to offer tutorials for products or service, show new items before they’re available or introduce new employees and showcase their talents.  Regardless of what a company posts on YouTube about their company the result can only be positive and encourage an online brand presence.

Engaging Customers through YouTube

Some of the most successful advertising campaigns in the past few years have been run entirely by a company’s customer base.  Coke threw out a challenge to their customers to create unique videos portraying interpretations of Coke’s newest marketing slogan and awarded prizes to winners.  Other companies have followed suit and encourage new and emerging artists to post their videos with casting votes for their favorites.  Through this subtle product placement a company can grow a larger customer base and increase their online brand presence.

Including YouTube Videos in the Company Blog

Anyone these days can embed a YouTube video into a blog making it a wonderful way to increase rank on search engines, engage readers and break up the monotony which afflicts many blogs.  Whether it be an interview, a how-to guide or a funny video by adding it to the company blog it will aid in building the company’s online brand presence – guaranteed.

While YouTube might be a little daunting to those not familiar with creating videos it is a necessity in today’s marketing world.  Any company not yet utilizing the website should spend some time exploring YouTube checking out what the competition is doing because chances are the competition is already using it and increase their online brand presence.

December 27, 2011



Web_maintenance
In previous posts I have talked about certain characteristics websites need to possess in order for search engines to rank them higher creating, in turn, an enhanced online visibility.  The top-dog of search engines, Google, released its Panda updates to the Google algorithms in early 2011 knocking the SEO world on its back.  The changes in how they ranked pages was huge and if the April release of Panda was the megaquake then the six minor changes since then have been aftershocks.  Thankfully, Google announced in December 2011 that Panda was taking a vacation until January 2012.  At last, a chance for everyone trying to increase their rank on Google and build their enhanced online visibility can breathe for a few weeks.

We say, no! This is not a time to rest.  This is the perfect time to revamp one’s website checking for anything and everything that may be lowering the page rank and reducing its ability to cultivate an enhanced online visibility. By spending a few weeks while Panda is away (and getting ready for the next attack) cleaning up a company’s website, they’ll increase their enhanced online visibility and be in a better position to fight new changes when they come around.

Enhanced Online Visibility and Keyword Stuffing

Keyword stuffing is when an unscrupulous website identifies keywords pivotal to their enhanced online visibility and then fills fluff pages with said keywords.  The result is page after page of useless words used to lure unsuspecting searchers to a website.  Panda really cracked down on such underhanded methods of increasing rank and now companies must be mindful of the amount of keywords used per page of content.

Enhanced Online Visibility and Broken Links

Links break. Unfortunately search engines use broken links against a website featuring them.  While most broken links are unintentional and companies don’t even realize they are there, they will be a detriment should the Panda find them.  This is the perfect time to test every link to ensure that they are live and functional. 

Enhanced Online Visibility and Professional Clean Up

While these are just a few suggestions for companies wanting to build their enhanced online visibility in 2012 they are important.  To really make the most on a website and launch online visibility into the stratosphere a company’s best bet is to turn to professionals.  They have the knowledge and resources to stay on top of problems, anticipate changes to search engine algorithms and make subtle changes to websites should the need arise.  When committing to increasing one’s enhanced online visibility trusting the work to a professional is usually the best choice.

December 20, 2011



Google-plus-icon
Small and mid-sized companies are always looking for inexpensive ways to increase their online brand presence.  Thanks to social media that can be done with no more investment that the time required to create and maintain a social media profile.  Facebook and Twitter have dominated the social media scene for the last few years but might have a run for their money with Google’s introduction of Google+.  This newest social media experience easily facilitates a company’s growing online brand presence and is easy to do.

Online Brand Presence at the Heart of Social Media

In essence social media turns every one of their users into a brand.  The more a person interacts with others within the realm of that website the more prominent their brand becomes.  Smart companies have realized this and have jumped head first into the cultural phenomena.  By creating a profile for one’s company current customers, potential customers and everyone in between can keep tabs on the company’s doings and receive constant advertising. Most important to building an online brand presence, though, is the daily reminders all one’s customers will have of a company’s product or service.

The Benefits of Google+ when Creating Online Brand Presence

Unlike Facebook and Twitter Google+ marketed their social media site at an older, more professional audience.  Also, regardless of whether one really likes Google+ there is no denying there are certain perks to belonging.  First and foremost the Google machine loves itself and when building an online brand presence raising Google ranking is the best method.  Google+ does have some advantages to its program and many experts in online marketing have already began to maximize these features to build an online brand presence.

No matter what size a company may be it is a best practice to draw as much attention to one’s brand as possible.  When that attention is free, it’s even better!  Social media is a free way to build an online presence.  While it may be free it is expensive in time commitment.  To utilize social media sites like Google+ one must be prepared to update their sites regularly, respond to comments, engage in on-going conversations and constantly look for potential customers.  Companies who make the commitment to Google+ can see immediate and long-term rewards, most importantly an increased online brand presence as demonstrated in higher Google rankings.

December 14, 2011



Links
One of the most important goals of any online marketing campaign is building an online brand presence through ranking with Google and other search engines. A company’s site ranking high in organic searches does not happen through serendipity, but rather through a specific, detailed approach combining many SEO strategies.  One of the easiest strategies with immediate results is to gain site traffic through inbound links from other domains.

A recent article explains step-by-step how and where to create external links to bolster online brand presence and goes on to remind companies the importance of inter-departmental cooperation in SEO marketing when increasing online brand presence is the goal. Many strategies are available when creating inbound links to company web content and creativity is the key.

One popular option is to create fun quizzes and surveys that will direct traffic to one’s company and product.  By aiming the quizzes at target audiences a company can expand their customer base and increase their search rankings. 

Another option is to utilize social media.  Best practice suggests that brands that utilize social media increase their online brand presence more than those who don’t.  By embedding links to a company’s site within social media (Facebook page, Twitter account, etc…) current customers are likely to click and land on one’s site accomplishing the inbound link strategy.

Placing a company’s link on a blog, social media account or other type of web page with a similar audience to that which a company has is a good way to increase customers, increase inbound link traffic and increase online brand presence.  Creating a company widget so that it can be embedded within blogs is a great way to easily accommodate.

Finally, working with PR teams can seriously increase a company’s online brand presence.  Every press release and partner project is an opportunity for SEO growth.  Links back to the company web site should be embedded in all promotional material and in partner sites.  By closely working with PR a company’s online brand presence can be greatly improved. 

While links alone will not create a brand or move a company website to the number one ranking on organic searches, when combined with other tried and true SEO strategies it can cause online brand presence to amplify dramatically.  Following a few simple steps, thinking outside the box and waiting patiently is about all a successful linking campaign needs to be a success. 

December 13, 2011



Online-advertising-tvads
For companies just starting out and looking to improve (or even create) their online brand presence all the advice can be pretty confusing.  Before becoming completely overwhelmed by it all young entrepreneurs should try the simplest online brand presence building activities first.  One of the simplest methods is for new brands to create a key phrase to use over and over.  Customers will grow to associate the phrase with the brand and sales will increase.

If one was to stop and think of all the brands with catch phrases they’d be overwhelmed.  There’s the cute duck who yells, “Aflac!” and who could forget, “Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?”  While those advertising campaigns were highly successful that is not the kind of phrase being recommended to young businesses trying to build their online brand presence. 

The keyword/key phrase recommendation is a much more subtle marketing plan that if done correctly the consumer will never even realize existed.  Early on in a company’s existence a vision should have been created.  With that vision should be a target customer.  Keyword/Key Phrase determination depends wholly upon the target customer when trying to establish an online brand presence. 

Most people visit websites after performing a search.  For one’s website to be clicked on it needs to be listed on the first or second page of the results.  An entire industry has popped up in response to this process helping companies get their website in those coveted spots and, in turn, build their online brand presence.  One of the principles behind ranking is keyword placement.  One must think like one’s target audience and try and predict what words they will put into the search engine.  If the prediction is right and a company has utilized those key words and phrases within their website and blog, their website will be ranked high in the search results cementing their online brand presence.

So, getting back to choosing key words or a key phrase for a new company – keep it simple.  Companies should think of the most concise wording someone looking for their product or service would use.  For instance someone looking for a plumber in New York might put “New York plumbers” into the search engine.  “New York plumbers” would be a great key phrase to use for a plumbing company.

Once a key phrase is determined it needs to be strategically placed in all online content.  There is a thin balance between it not being used enough and being used so much that it detracts from the information being provided.  Companies should place their key phrase in every page of their website, in all blog posts, and in social media updates.  If a company is utilizing blog comments for marketing purposes, the key phrase should be used there as well.

As mentioned earlier, there are many companies specializing in online marketing and helping companies build an online brand presence.  Any company having tried keyword placement and having not seen results should consider contracting with online marketing service providers.  Keyword placement is an easy and smart way to begin one’s online brand presence building.  With a little trial and error it can launch a website to the top of the search results.

October 04, 2011



 

Google_update_engine_logo
If you want to increase your enhanced online visibility you need to make sure that you’re in touch and in tune with the changes that big search engines make to their search algorithms. The latest changes to the Google search program were released last week amid massive drops in ranking for a lot of websites. Good SEO experts do not spend their time playing catch up with their brands there is too much at stake when it comes to enhanced online visibility to have to spend months realigning your brand so that it captures the attention of companies like Google, Yahoo! and Bing.

Enhanced Online Visibility is Ongoing

SEO is the most important part of doing business online. The playing field is remarkably level when it comes to the world of online marketing and business. Big brands must do just as much as smaller websites to attract attention and get more traffic. This is advantageous if you are a small business looking to create and maintain your enhanced online visibility.

Enhanced Online Visibility – Act Local; think Global

Competing on the world wide web for rank and position is no mean feat, but ether are ways that small business owners can take advantage of SEO techniques and online brand presence to drive traffic to their websites.

One of the key techniques is to act on a local level as far as possible. Is your website optimized for local searches? If you provide a service that is sought after in your neighborhood, town or city, are you providing content that targets those searches? This could have a huge impact on your online brand presence and even help to push you further up the ranking pages.

Google is in fact targeting companies who are getting more direct traffic to their sites. They consider this a good indicator of overall popularity and are rewarding sites that have a good local online brand presence. Sites that rely entirely on search traffic may not enjoy the enhanced online visibility of sites that are offering great content and useful information for their local users and clients.

Use video on your website to gain an enhanced online visibility. Google rewards the use of video and interesting information more than keyword stuffing and content that is only geared towards gaining a ranking.

Never underestimate the power of word of mouth advertising and marketing. Use your social media wisely and promote your online business using traditional marketing techniques to draw traffic to your site. Enjoying enhanced online visibility can be done for a reasonable fee from a professional SEO expert, who specializes in content. Don’t look at SEO as separate from marketing; it is an integral part of maintaining enhanced online visibility using technology and marketing to create the magic of your online ​brand presence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmWPjauPBbs&feature=player_embedded#t=330s 

September 28, 2011



   SEO-Content

 

The only constant in the world of SEO is change. Learning how to maintain your enhanced online visibility means that you need to be aware and alert to the changes made by search engines.

It is not enough to assume that your SEO efforts will give you enhanced online visibility for all time. The internet is a large universe and search engines need to find better ways of getting information to their users. To this end, Google, Yahoo! and other large search engines constantly change the algorithms that they use for search.

While this can be a challenge for SEO experts, it is actually good news for consumers and users of the internet. People want information when they search on the internet. They want information that they can use to make lifestyle choices and possibly even to make buying decisions. Having and enhanced online visibility means that you have to keep up with what is happening in the world of SEO and SEM.

Enhanced Online Visibility on the Internet

If you want to see a profitable return for your online business, you have to be ranked close to the top on Google. This is where keywords play such an important part in establishing an enhanced online visibility for your business. Once you have decided on the most likely keywords and search terms for your business, you need to create excellent content around those terms. Enjoying enhanced online visibility means establishing a social media presence, managing your online reputation and creating content that is useful.

Enhanced Online Visibility and Google

The latest Google changes to their algorithm program, called Panda, mean that SEO marketers must dig even deeper to provide excellent content. Google will not give you enhanced online visibility and reward you for shoddy or misleading content. Stuffing your website full of keywords and no useful content will not get you ranked anywhere near the top. In fact, Google is actively targeting companies that use manipulative SEO techniques.

Create Enhanced Online Visibility through SEO

If you want to make a concerted effort to improve your online marketing you need to hire an SEO expert. Web developers have a good understanding of SEO, but they do not have the tools of the SEO guru to provide enhanced online visibility. Traditional marketers have an immense knowledge of marketing, advertising and promotion, but they do not always understand the technical specifications needed for SEO.

You need to think about your online brand presence and the way you are perceived on the internet to ensure enhanced online visibility. While content is the key to making ​sure that you are ranked high on the search engines, where you place your content is becoming a vital part of maintaining enhanced online visibility.

Facebook, Twitter, blogs, articles – All of your content should have the goal of delivering useful information to your users. With enhanced online visibility those users can turn into potential clients and customers for your business.