Optimizing an ecommerce site isn't that different than optimizing any other type of web site. In order for a page to rank well in the organic search results, the page needs a few things. Find out what those things are....
Over the past few years Microsoft has gotten slower. Key product releases have been delayed, upper-management has been reshuffled several times in two years, defining initiatives such as the .net strategy have been virtually abandoned and worst of all, Microsoft has lived in reaction mode for the better part of the 2Ks....
As I've become increasingly immersed in marketing for MSI I've learned more about our prospects' buy cycle process, and have gotten a bit more of a 3D vision of how decisions actually happen in our prospects’ organizations. I've become increasingly of the opinion that it's the decision influencers in organizations that marketers should focus on....
Today the trend leans towards hiring in-house. A quick glance at employment websites such as Monster.com or Workopolis.ca shows a growing list of positions for SEOs who have two or more years of experience. The demand for experienced search marketers far outstrips the supply of really good practitioners...
What's disappointing is that despite the investments poured into local search by top engines like Yahoo! and Google, the Internet search engine satisfaction rate of 39% is the same that it was last year, meaning that despite the new offerings, users aren't finding it any easier to get what they want....
Last week, we talked about how important it is for C-level managers to know every aspect of their business, especially search engine marketing. Today, we’ll weigh the benefits of paid search against the often-overlooked power of SEO....
Providing extra information including features and benefits of your product will help users make the decision to buy. Adding information such as pricing comparisons, warranties, and quality customer service helps users realize why they should purchase from you....
Some sites are built using “cutting edge advanced design techniques” that draw from several sources. Some have poorly structured databases. Some look as if they were slapped together seven years ago and have since existed as an afterthought. The one thing they all have in common is that they offer search engine spiders far too little information to grab onto....
Online interactions are generally ruled by the left brain, the logical side of our intellect. Generally, we interact with most websites the same way we did in 1996. We read text, we click on links, we glance at the occasional graphic. For the most part, our right brain is idling....
Optimizing a blog is just like optimizing any other website. The content and pages (posts) must be unique, they must be search engine friendly, and it needs links from other websites. If it's a new blog, then you first need to make sure the blog software you're using is set up so that it takes advantage of all of the possible optimization features....
It seems like a funny question to me, but it gets asked a lot. "Where should the SEO copy go on my Web page?" That question gets asked so much because there are several pieces of out-of-date information, rumors and myths with regard to text placement, when writing SEO copy....
Just four months after announcing the Google Base project, Google is already working to integrate the content into it's traditional search results. Just recently, reports have started to show up in blogs about searches that lead to a results page with a Google Base search prompt for refining the original search....
Today when I went to my client's website, Google told me the site's PageRank (PR) is 1. A couple of hours later, while I was on the phone I needed to call up that site again and voila, the PR had increased from 1 to 3!...
Two key topics that tend to dominate the R&D portion of our formal staff meetings and many informal discussions amongst staff members are usability and consultation. Not surprisingly, they also tend to be discussed frequently on various SEO or SEM related forums....
Before developing your website, picking your design and development should be secondary to bringing your optimization and marketing team onboard. The marketing team can help you interview and select the right designers saving both time and money in the long run....
As we all know, search engine marketing (SEM) is a critical and effective marketing strategy that provides an excellent return on investment (ROI). Savvy marketers understand SEM’s value by virtue of the improved KPIs (key performance indicators) in their web analytics reports. But what about your C-level execs? Do they know? Do they care? A word of advice: They better....
In the search engine marketing/optimization community there are abundant resources and articles on how to improve rankings. So much in fact, it can be confusing as to which tactics are current and valid....
One thing that prospects have asked about recently is the effects of combining paid and organic search. Greg Jarboe gave a presentaion in 2003 in which he mentioned the "second opinion effect." He saw a 3 times conversion increase for a site with top rankings in paid and organic...
It happens every now and then, in a forum, on a blog, and sometimes, even in court. What happens? Some web site owned by someone with an entitlement mentality experiences a drop in rankings and suddenly rambles on and on about the evils of Google and how Google has destroyed their business....
Now that Google stock circulates on the open market, US law requires them to file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As a result of these reports, Google is no longer able to hold a wealth of information about it or its business as secrets....
When you’re penetrating a mainstream market, every day you can hold an advantage over the competition is significant. The longer something remains in beta before it becomes a significant advantage to your main user base, the longer your competition has to even the playing field....
I've heard time and time again from small business owners that pay per click marketing is simply too confusing, too expensive and too difficult for them to dive in to. Starter Edition is based off this premise....
In Part 1 of this series, you were introduced to Provider Watch, a company whose site copy was a bit confusing. While they had a wonderful understanding of their target audience and they had absolutely made an emotional connection, the copy lacked a push toward action on the visitor's part....
Do you have experts on your team? Are your contributors or service providers authorities? Be sure to give their credentials. Are you affiliated with a respected organization? Make that clear....
Recently I learned Google has tons of different domains that all point to their Google home page. I thought this was considered spamming? If this is not spamming, would the same technique work for our site?...
There are now three general types or groupings of SEO practitioner. The first group is in decline; the second in transition, and the third is just starting to find its stride....
There was also a lot of press last week about Google's share price eroding because their CFO George Reyes said he expected slowing growth in the next quarter. So what's the deal? Is search growing, or isn't it?...
As I discovered recently, creating a PPC campaign for a mature website can differ greatly from a typical PPC campaign setup....
So my question becomes...is the industry spoiled? Is the fact that an experienced SEM scoffs at a salary that's not equal to those paid out by top law firms, or earned by experienced surgeons a sign that something is wrong?...
Your website's content is a microcosm of all things marketing. Your content should be the heart and soul of your web-based business unit, even if that unit is part of a larger offline framework....
One of the most visible SEO pundits on the web is unquestionably, Aaron Wall. Aaron is a very unique individual in the SEO world since he is exceptionally knowledgable and networked but until recently, has not overtly offered search engine optimization consulting services....
The acquisition of Upstartle, combined with other current and pending Google services poses a serious challenge to Microsoft’s desktop oriented products. Google is clearly building a suite of branded, browser-based applications that contains several daily use products designed to capture users from Microsoft Office....
When you set up a web site and domain name, you are setting up a business—and by establishing a presence in the country using that country's native tongue is much more powerful than simply adding a few web pages to your existing web site....
AdWords' demographic option is designed to let advertisers select specific sites to advertise on based on the demographics of that site. Advertisers will be able to specify a preference in up to three categories....
Barry Diller likes long shots. He’s built a career betting on the long shot. Fresh from killing off his venerable butler, Jeeves, Diller showcased the new Ask.com at the New York Search Engine Strategies show. In a keynote conversation with Danny Sullivan that opened the show, Diller made it clear that’s he’s in this for the long haul....
I had the pleasure of interviewing Jim Lanzone, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Ask.com, via email. He's stoked about Ask's recent overhaul and offered a glimpse into their direction as well as the internal structure at Ask driving innovation....
Write great, professional marketing copy while keeping your keyword phrases in mind. If they stick out like a sore thumb, all you've done is written spammy, keyword-stuffed content, and who wants their company associated with that?...
Success in search marketing is a very subjective thing. To put it in a simple sentence, success equates to meeting one’s goals. What those goals are, and how they help you or your business achieve a greater objective is another matter....
Most adults are now well aware that anything they say or write online can come back to haunt them, but most of the school-age population isn't quite as familiar with the idea of "consequences for your actions," especially in the realm of the online world....
There are a number of reasons why people are distrustful of stores offline and online, but that sense is often heightened when shopping on the web. That makes it ever more important to go out of your way to create a sense of trust and credibility to your online visitors....
It is relatively easy to find relevant information in the first ten results at MSN, Yahoo, Ask or Google but there are often thousands of advertisers competing for the same keyword targets, each of which expect tangible guarantees their dollars will produce positive results. The rules of survival are changing quickly....
One of the great things about the SEO industry is the networking and opportunity to meet and collaborate with some of the smartest people you’ll find anywhere. Todd is certainly one of those people....
There have been several changes made to Google’s algorithms since November 2003, many of which have forced SEOs to make subtle changes to their tactics and techniques. The biggest accomplishment of Florida, from an SEO standpoint, was that it stands as the first major step Google took to distance its rankings from SEO spam....
Originally, search engines focused on mathematical formulas. That often meant that you could meet all the criteria without having a very "good" site. Search engines realized this and they've been working ever since to find better ways to make these judgement calls....
There are many different reasons for purchasing multiple domain names, and each reason has its own set of benefits and uses. Buying multiple domain names is a great strategy that can be used to capture additional type-in traffic, secure other branding avenues you may wish to pursue, or simply to prevent your competitors from securing them....
Social Networking...This trend has been gaining momentum for a while but in the past year, a bulk of new users has accelerated adoption of the medium to the point where the most popular network, MySpace sees more traffic in a day than Google does....
Search works. Users know that. With that come some positives, and some negatives. The way I see it, search brings much more to these content sites than it takes away, so it's not a parasitic relationship....
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