Apr
11
Organic is Good… Right?
April 11, 2008 | Comments Off | Written by John Whaley
Lately, I have had a lot of people contacting me with questions regarding organic optimization, which prompted me to put together a little presentation to help people understand the concept behind organic optimization. I thought I would use today to share a few of the points and examples or organic optimization, in hopes that it helps clear the fog around this sometimes “not so clear topic”.
First off, what is organic search engine optimization? It is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from the search engines via “natural” or “organic” search results for a targeted keyword. I know that is a “Webster” definition, but in short, it is just the idea of driving more people back to your site from the natural placement within search engines.
This concept is nothing new; it is just recently being applied in a new market (i.e the internet). Take a look at what the yellow pages did for advertising 10 years ago. If your kitchen sink broke in the middle of the night, you would go to the yellow pages for your area, and look up plumbers. You can now do the same thing with the internet, without having to carry a 400 pound book around with you wherever you go. You go to your favorite search engine, type in “plumbers in _____” and you get the results you are looking for.
From a consumer side of things, they are going to want the most relevant, highest rated site. Also with the decreased attention spans of users on the internet, they are not going to take the time to click through to page 2 or 3, or further. This is why it is so important to show up on the first page of the search engines, and even better to show up at the top of page one.
Here are a few of the clients that I have been working with on their organic optimization, and what it has done to help their business.
Kings Material | www.kingsmaterial.com- Targeted Keyword: Landscape Products
- Results: #3 in Google out of 2.19 million results just a month and a half after the launch of their new site.
American Board of Certification | www.abcworld.org- Targeted Keyword: legal bankruptcy certification
- Results: #1 in Google out of 2.21 million
- Targeted Keyword: legal creditors rights certification
- Results: #1 in Google out of 354,000
Happle Gourmet | www.happlegourmet.com- Targeted Keyword: organic pies
- Results: #1 in Google out of 508,000
TD&T Financial | www.tdtpc.com- Targeted Keyword: Eastern Iowa accounting
- Results: #2 in Google out of 1.7 million
Results are current as of 4/11/2008
As you can see, the keywords that we choose to target for these clients are directly related to what a client might be searching for to obtain their product or service. This is one thing that you must always keep in mind when determining what keywords you should target. This can be a very complex process, but can result in a very nice return if done correctly.
This is just one of the many SEO services that are offered here at Metro Studios. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to set-up a free consultation.
Director of Internet Marketing – Metro Studios,
John Whaley – johnw@metrostudios.net
Dec
20
Where Will 2008 Take Us?
December 20, 2007 | Comments Off | Written by John Whaley
This time of year always gets me thinking about where we will be at this time next year. So, I wanted to spend some time thinking about some of the new SEO trends that we are starting to see emerge as possible new internet marketing avenues.
One “buzz” word that that started to make headlines in 2007 is “viral marketing”. Viral Marketing refers to a marketing technique that uses pre-existing social networks to produce an increase in brand awareness through the social networks’ self-replicating viral processes.
Ok, so that was a “Wiki” type definition, but it is basically saying that if you use the existing social and blog networks (Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Digg, etc.), that just the growth and exposure from individuals within those networks will cause your brand awareness to spread “virally”. It is the same as if you tell a person about a good/bad restaurant, and that person tells 3 other people, and those 3 people tell 4 other people… eventually, this restaurant will be exposed (positively or negatively) to a vast number of people. I could spend all day on this topic, but if you have any questions about viral marketing and how you can incorporate it into your 2008 internet marketing campaign, please let me know.
The next big thing I see within the SEO/Internet Marketing industry is how the internet and mobile devices are becoming more and more interconnected. The launch of the iPhone really set the stage for mobile web and mobile communication in general. I know you have been able to read your email and surf the web from your phone prior to the iPhone launch, but the technology behind how a website is displayed on the iPhone resulted in a huge sigh of relief from the web development world (including us). It is just one of those things that prove that the internet and mobile communication are quickly becoming one. So what does this mean to you as a website owner? As more and more people are using their mobile phones to access information on the fly, it is important that you website be displayed properly and legibly on a mobile device, otherwise it might get overlooked. If you don’t have a web enabled phone, go to your local AT&T store and use one of theirs. This is about the only thing they aren’t charging you for.
These are just a few examples, but trust me when I say there are a lot more things on the horizon when it comes to SEO and Internet Marketing. It is a growing area of the marketing world, and it needs to be taken seriously if you want to make a high impact online.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have regarding SEO and Internet Marketing, I would be more than happy to help you out.
From your Web Team at Metro, have a safe and Happy Holiday season! Thanks for making our year a success!
Director of Internet Marketing – Metro Studios,
John Whaley – johnw@metrostudios.net
Nov
15
What is your website saying about you?
November 15, 2007 | Comments Off | Written by John Whaley
I know this sounds like a funny question to be asking yourself, but if you haven’t thought about the answer, maybe it’s time. With more and more people using the internet as a resource and to find businesses, if you website isn’t sending the right message then it might be time for an update.
In the past it was only necessary to have a website, to, “have a website”. It was a marketing tool that businesses could use as a facade to show they were on top of their game and cutting edge. Now days, a website is not only a marketing tool, but an extension of your brand. It needs to convey who your company is and what your company can do for its clients.
When we meet with clients we tell them to think about their website as a resource for the products or services that they are offering. If your website is a resource it will not only build creditability with your potential clients and customers, but it will build creditability with the search engines as well. If the search engines deem you site creditable for certain keywords, they will rank your site higher organically within the Search Engine Results Page’s (SERP’s). I know this sounds like a lot to be thinking about but then again, that’s why we’re here.
Ok, so now that you have established that you need to update your site. How do you make your site a resource? I think a better place to start is by asking yourself:
- What makes my company, product, or service unique?
- What are my potential clients looking for and what can I offer them?
- Is our company website a direct reflection of who our company really is?
The answers to these questions will not only help you with your general marketing efforts but give you the building blocks to start really thinking about how you can take your website to the next level.
I said earlier that your website should be an extension of your brand. Just like any other marketing piece your website should convey who your company really is. If you are a fortune 500 company and you are still using old animated graphics and “blink tags”, is your website really helping your company? Likewise if you are a smaller company, the web is a great opportunity to put the “size doesn’t matter” mindset to work.
As the internet grows, more and more people are going to the web to find out who you are and what you do. The vastness of the internet has made it the most widely used marketing medium in the world, topping TV advertising, Radio, and Print. The internet keeps growing daily, allowing for more and more competition. How well is your website performing?
By making your website a creditable resource that reflects your brand, it will naturally be a fully functional marketing tool for your company to utilize. Let your website work FOR you not AGAINST you!
Director of Internet Marketing
John Whaley - johnw@metrostudios.net