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December 22nd, 2009 by SEO Topics
Nobody likes to be stuck in traffic; however, when it comes to the Web, traffic is not such a bad thing.
In fact, Web traffic is actually highly desirable. Traffic is a measure of how many people query a given keyword or visit a website. It’s the number of unique visitors that a Web page or keyword receives.
In the keyword research phase of search engine optimization (SEO), the amount of traffic a keyword receives is of critical importance. The Google Adwords Traffic Estimator and the Google Adwords Keyword Tool are among the best free and reliable estimator tools available. Both of these tools will allow you to predict a keyword’s performance before starting a campaign.
Although designed to assist with PPC performance, these tools are also excellent for selecting keywords to target in SEO campaigns. For example, if only a handful of people type a given keyword phrase into the search engines, it’s probably not worth your optimization efforts, but keywords with hundreds or thousands of searches each month may be worthy of consideration.
When selecting keywords, your industry and personal website statistics will play an important role in deciding how many high-traffic keywords you should target. While high-traffic doesn’t always mean high-competition, these two factors tend to go hand-in-hand more often than not. An experienced SEO firm such as Web.com Search Agency can help you determine the right mix of keywords that will bring the desired volume and type of traffic to your website to drive sales.
Ready to learn more? Give us a call at 1-877-Rank-321!
Tags: Web Traffic Estimator
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December 22nd, 2009 by SEO Topics
A search engine spider “crawls” the Web in search of website updates. These robots are Google’s and other search engines’ way of staying current with the myriad of changes that take place on the Web 24/7. They troll the Web in a methodical and automated manner to keep tabs on what’s happening and adjust their search engine rankings accordingly.
So, what does this mean for your website?
You want the spiders to come to your site, and for them to come often. As you make changes and improvements to your website – such as adding new content or implementing keyword-rich meta tags – you want the search engines to take note and increase your rankings accordingly.
Since the spiders don’t have a set schedule for visiting and indexing sites, there are a few things you can do to ensure that they will visit your website on a regular basis:
Update your website often: Spiders tend to visit sites that update their content more frequently, since they can count on there being new information that will be helpful in updating their index of websites. If you aren’t currently updating your website on a regular basis, you may wish to consider keeping a blog or perhaps periodically writing industry-related articles or press releases.
Create a portfolio of great links: In addition to your on-page content, spiders also want to know what other websites are saying about your website. Inbound links, external links that point to your website, play a very important role in search engine rankings. If the spiders consistently see that your site is receiving quality inbound links, they will index this information and adjust your rankings accordingly.
Submit your site map to the search engines: If your website is new or you are undergoing a major redesign, submitting your website and XML sitemap for inclusion can be an effective way to gain the attention of a search engine crawler. A site map will help the spiders navigate your website and ensure that all of your internal pages get indexed.
Make sure the spiders can “read” your content: Spiders can only read text, which means most images and Flash content gets overlooked. Use text whenever possible, especially for important keywords, links and products. Spiders also like to see lots of content (at least 250 words per page) so be sure to talk up your products, services and more.
Above all, one of the best things you can do to attract crawlers is to have an organized and easy-to-crawl website that is optimized for search engines. Want to learn more? Contact Web.com Search Agency at 1-877-Rank-321.
Tags: web crawlers
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December 3rd, 2009 by SEO Topics
Everyone knows that keywords are a critical element in any search engine optimization (SEO) campaign. Using a variety of methods such as content and meta tag creation, link building and others, the ultimate goal is always to have each page on your website rank for as many keywords with high search volume as possible. But the question remains: how many keywords is that and when does keyword targeting turn into SEO keyword stuffing?
One of the first signs of a novice SEO campaign is a Web page that is littered with keywords. When every other sentence is crammed to the max with keywords, it’s a red flag that the website is engaging in keyword stuffing.
Below is a keyword stuffing example:
If you’re looking for tennis shoes, you’ve come to the right place. Our website is the best place to buy tennis shoes. You won’t find better tennis shoes or cheaper tennis shoes anywhere else. We invite you to check out our great selection of tennis shoes.
Clearly, in this example, the website is trying to rank for the word tennis shoes. But in attempting to rank for this keyword, they may actually be doing more harm than good. Google and other search engines assign a keyword stuffing penalty to sites that over-optimize. If they didn’t, every website would simply try to include their keyword as much possible – much to the dismay of their readership!
The content on each of your Web pages should be written naturally, with just a few variations of your main keyword sprinkled throughout. Write for your readers first – and then take care of the SEO. Oftentimes, you can’t even tell that some of the most well-written Web pages have been optimized for SEO.
So remember, when it comes to keywords, it is not necessarily the more the merrier. Be selective about which and how many keywords you target, and turn to an SEO firm such as Web.com Search Agency for advice on proper keyword ranking strategies.
Tags: keyword stuffing
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December 3rd, 2009 by SEO Topics
In the land of search engines, there are many different linking strategies that can help boost your search engine rankings. From inbound to outbound links and custom links to directory links, there is a link to help you do just about anything.
Out of all of the linking strategies, there is one type of link that can help you increase your rankings without costing you a dime: the internal link.
Internal link building is the process of linking to pages within your own site. For example, you may choose to link to one of your interior pages from your homepage or from one interior page to another.
The internal page link can help clarify what pages should be ranking for which keywords. For example, a link from your homepage pointing to an interior page with the anchor text “beauty products” tells the search engines that the linked page is about beauty products. It’s critical that you carefully consider what anchor text you use, as this is what gives the page the boost.
Many websites simply use the words “click here” to reference other pages. This description doesn’t tell the search engines anything useful about your keywords. But the use of descriptive anchor text in the form of keywords you already have on your pages can help clarify what is what in terms of your keyword strategy.
We’ve seen a lot of websites that have taken their internal link structure to the extreme and have pages upon pages filled with internal links. Although a select few internal links can sometimes give rankings a small boost, this strategy fails when overdone. The key, as with any search engine optimization effort, is to have the links look natural – and there’s certainly nothing natural about a page filled with links!
Want to learn more? Contact Web.com Search Agency at 1-877-Rank-321 to learn how we can enhance your website’s search engine rankings.
Tags: internal linking
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December 3rd, 2009 by SEO Topics
Whether you’re creating your website from scratch, undergoing a redesign or thinking about small updates you can make to your site navigation, there’s much to think about.
Once you get people to land on your website through search engine optimization or other methods, the next step is to get them to stay on your site and perform whatever action is required – such as completing a sale. Website navigation design plays a big role in this.
Getting the customer to act on your website means you have to make it easy for them to perform the necessary steps to complete the transaction. This begins with the navigation of the website. It should be clear what links go to what pages, and what shoppers will find once they go to a certain page.
This may seem simple, but it’s actually easy to confuse your potential customers when it comes to your site navigation. Here are 5 things you can do to make getting around your website a bit easier:
- Make your main navigation bar easy to find. The six or seven main categories on your site should appear either at the top the Web page or on the left sidebar. These are the two areas of your site that are the most visible and should contain your main categories. Subcategories should appear below the corresponding main category, preferably in the form of a drop-down menu.
- Keep titles short, descriptive and simple. Tell Web users exactly what they’re getting by using clear and concise titles – there should never be any surprises! Instead of “Resources” say “News Links” or instead of “Products” say “Shoes.” Use as few words as possible to accurately describe what users will find when they click on the link.
- Be consistent. Navigational links should be consistent throughout every page on your site. They should be in the same location with the same font, style and title.
- Make it clear where the user is at all times. If the user is in a series of subsections, make it clear not only where they are, but also where they came from. For example, the navigation may show Shoes > Sneakers > Nike through a series of now open drop-down menus. This way, if the user changes their mind and wants to go up or down a level, then can do so (without having to start at the beginning!)
- Less is more. Some websites try to make their navigation and their overall website design strategy intricate or otherwise flashy. While site aesthetics do play an important role in creating an online corporate image, it’s best to keep things simple. Focus on keeping your navigation clean and avoid using Flash at all costs (the search engines can’t see it!). And try to keep the number of clicks needed to complete a transaction to a minimum.
Want to learn more? Contact Web.com Search Agency at 1-877-Rank-321 to learn how we can help you employ the best website navigation practices for your site.
Tags: website navigation
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November 20th, 2009 by SEO Topics
Want to use the Internet to attract more customers and increase your bottom line? You can’t simply implement a website and except to obtain visitors. Putting a plan in motion to gain Internet exposure is your only option. Building a prominent online presence can only be accomplished through a well-strategized search engine marketing campaign. Getting your website to show up as the leader of the pack in search results is an excellent way to drive traffic to your site. Two ways to achieve desired rankings in popular engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing is through natural, on-page SEO practices or Pay-Per-Click campaigns.
On-Page SEO refers to the important components of your website that the search engine spiders are looking for when they visit your site to determine its ranking. The following is a list of important questions you should ask yourself if you want to impress the spiders and increase Web exposure naturally:
- Do you use effective and relevant keywords?
- Do you have important keywords in your titles and headings?
- Does your site have unique content that is relevant to the page topic?
- What kind and how many inbound links is your site receiving?
- Is your site credible?
- Will visitors benefit from your site?
These are just a few of the ways the spiders judge your website and its ability to rank and gain exposure on the Web. Your site will not skyrocket just because the spiders see your site moving in the right direction, but it will steadily rise to the top as the spiders continue to like what they see.
Pay-Per-Click is a sure-fire way to gain instant web site exposure. When a search is conducted in Google, for example, you get two types of results – natural, as mentioned above, and paid advertisements. Depending on what is being searched, the paid results appear in the top three rankings in the highlighted area or down the right hand column. In order to rank in these positions you must bid on certain keyword search terms. You want to choose keywords that will convert well, be most beneficial to your site and fall within your budget. Google AdWords will often be your best bet in determining which words to choose.
Web.com Search Agency is a leading search engine optimization firm that uses the appropriate strategies required to get website exposure. We will work within your budget and discover the most effective ways to drive relevant traffic to your site. To find out how Web.com Search Agency can help you increase website exposure, call 1-877-RANK-321 or chat with us live.
Tags: increase exposure
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November 20th, 2009 by SEO Topics
The Art of Writing for the Web: Successful SEO Content Creation
Any successful search engine optimization campaign must include compelling, keyword-rich website writing. The content featured on your site is more important than any design element, especially when your number one priority is increasing traffic to your site. After all, the search engine spiders that visit your site aren’t looking for how attractive your site is, they are concerned about your credibility. The way to establish said credibility and gain high rankings in the engines is through solid web writing.
The following are guidelines for successful SEO copywriting:
- Categorize Pages – The more clear-cut you get with your page designations the better you look to the search engines. It is best to categorize pages into a well thought out hierarchy, also referred to as siloing. This will allow you to place relevant, important keywords seamlessly into the content.
- Keyword Selection – When choosing keywords, your objective is to select the ones that are relevant to the page and ones your potential visitors will be most likely searching for. One excellent source for finding the ideal keywords is the Google AdWords Keyword Tool. This will allow you to discover the absolute best keywords for the page. During the selection process, be sure to target keyword phrases as they convert better.
- Page Length – Search engine spiders like to see content. The more you write, the easier it will be to tie in the targeted keywords and establish credibility in your business sector. A good minimum word count to shoot for during your SEO writing is 250 words per page. This will allow you to include more keywords while keeping your density in check.
- Keyword Placement – Keywords should be placed sparingly throughout the content. They should never appear forced and should flow smoothly with what you are trying to communicate. When determining the amount of keywords to place in your SEO content writing, a good density level ranges between 3 to 5 percent.
Writing and optimizing website content can be done independently; however, choosing a professional SEO copywriter will guarantee your website content is exactly what it should be. The professional copy editors at Web.com Search Agency possess the know-how to develop well-composed content that will grab your visitors’ attention. From hospitality and retail to medical and legal writing styles, the WSA copy editors have the skills to write for a vast array of clients.
Interested in hiring a professional SEO copy writer to draft compelling content for your site? Contact Web.com Search Agency at 1-877-Rank-321 or chat with us live!
Tags: seo content creation
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November 20th, 2009 by SEO Topics
The Good, the Bad and the Black Hat Optimization
There are two types of search engine optimization approaches when dealing with website promotion. One is the squeaky-clean White Hat approach, and the other is the diabolical Black Hat approach. Think of it as good versus evil, just like in old western movies when the good guys wore white and, well, the evil guys wore black. In westerns there is one thing you can be certain of – good always prevails over evil, just like White Hat SEO will always prevail over Black Hat SEO.
There are several Black Hat SEO techniques to look out for that will get you penalized or even banned in Google, creating the complete opposite outcome from which you had anticipated. The following are perfect examples of plain ‘ol bad SEO practices:
- Keyword Stuffing – When keywords in content are glaringly obvious to the visitor, you can guarantee you have a keyword stuffing problem. Placing keywords sparingly throughout content will always be the best approach to properly optimizing website content. Website copy should never appear spammy, meaning it should never have the same phrase appear again and again to the point where the content reads awkwardly. The measurement for keyword density on a page should fall around 4 percent. So, stuffing as many keywords in as possible is never a good idea.
- Hidden Text – This refers to text that is viewable by search engines but not actual visitors. Examples of hidden text include text color matching the background and text that is too small for human eyes to read. Search engines now have built-in algorithms to detect hidden text and once your secret has been discovered, expect penalization to follow.
- Cloaking – When a website presents one version of a page to the search engines and a completely different one to visitors, it is referred to as cloaking. A cloaked page shown to the engines will contain numerous keywords that the site wants to be ranked for. This is accomplished by using a program that tells you the IP address of the user. If it is a search engine spider, the cloaked version will appear; if it is a human visitor, the more user-friendly content will appear.
- Duplicate Content – It is never okay to have the same content repeated throughout your site or appear on any other websites. You lose credibility with the search engines. Even if you wrote the content and another site stole your work, it is best to change what you have on your site to guarantee your website and its content is deemed trustworthy by the engines.
- Link Farms – When a group of websites interlink for the sheer purpose of gaining link popularity in the search engines, the practice is referred to as a link farm. This approach to link building is actually a poor choice. Instead you should seek out unique sites with relevancy.
Web.com Search Agency is familiar with all of the Black Hat SEO tricks and has the knowledge required to take your bad SEO website and transform it into one of the good guys. Our advice for avoiding Black Hat SEO practices is to simply keep it honest. Write original website content that is clear, relevant and attractive. After all, Black Hat SEO is just pain UGLY! This should help to keep your search engine optimization on the up and up.
If you want to recruit the white hat wearing good guys to help you increase your search engine ranking, contact Web.com Search Agency. We would be more than happy to devise the absolute best strategy for your website.
Tags: black hat search engine optimization, black hat seo
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November 10th, 2009 by SEO Topics
You can’t avoid it. Actually, you shouldn’t avoid it. What is it? It’s the Social Media advertising revolution!
There was a time when advertising dollars were strictly spent on print ads and television commercials, but that was before social media sites like Facebook and Twitter found their way to the scene. More and more businesses are utilizing these social media outlets for advertising because that is where potential customers seem to be spending a lot of their time. Millions of people participate in these social networks on a daily basis, and since the point of advertising is to get your name in front of as many people as possible, how could you not pursue advertising in social media sites?
Web.com Search Agency has its finger on the pulse of the social media revolution and has developed expert strategies for clients interested in gaining exposure in the social networks. Through the creation of a profile, we can develop a social media presence for your company that reinforces marketing strategies and brand recognition. These profiles offer an excellent way to engage customers away from your website and drive traffic to it.
The management and maintenance of your profile includes:
• Identifying individuals or groups that would benefit from your business • Coordinating correspondence with friends and groups • Optimizing your URL for desired social network • Uploading optimized images • Inserting content or creating content for selected sections of profile • Uploading pertinent articles to profile
With over 300 million members, Facebook advertising should never be overlooked as a tool for increasing sales. At Web.com Search Agency, our Facebook advertising strategies involve more than just the simple creation of an ad; we take the viral approach when it comes to social media advertising. We can develop an application in the form of a promotion or giveaway that allows you to connect more closely with your customers. The longer your application is up, the more exposure your company will gain as it spreads to more and more Facebook members.
To start advertising on Facebook, Twitter or both, recruit Web.com Search Agency to create and manage your social media presence. Call 1-877-Rank-321 to speak with a social media strategist who will be more than happy to devise a compelling plan to promote your company on the social media sites.
Tags: social media advertising
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November 5th, 2009 by SEO Topics
Tired of waiting for and not seeing your desired results in Google, Yahoo! and Bing? Buying your way into the top search engine ranking positions with Pay-Per-Click ads may be the most effective solution. The idea behind Internet search engine advertising, as with any ad campaign, is that you have to spend money to make money. Paying for search engine advertising may be your best approach for gaining immediate exposure in the engines, thus helping to increase sales.
The key to a successful online search engine advertising campaign is a well thought out plan of attack. Successful search engine advertising involves more than just selecting some phrases that relate to your business. It requires a keen ability to select keywords with high conversions rates and make the appropriate changes throughout the campaign. With so many factors to consider in such a highly competitive market, hiring an experienced search engine advertising company to handle your campaign can mean the difference between success and failure in the engines.
While most search engine advertising companies focus on driving traffic to your site, Web.com Search Agency professionals take it one step further and focus on increasing your sales for a profitable ROI. Our PPC managers will devise a cost effective strategy that will get you the results you require. Throughout your campaign, your manager will be able track and evaluate your progress and make any necessary changes to ensure you receive the desired response.
To find out what Web.com Search Agency’s search engine advertising services can do for your business, call 1-877-Rank-321. One of our SEO strategists will be more than happy to speak with you about this special opportunity to increase your bottom line.
Tags: search engine advertising
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