December 2009

Charles Lumpkin

SEO: Be a Content Creation Beast

You're targeting the right keywords. You've got links pointing back to your site. All the SEO basics seem to be covered. Now what? How do you get that extra bit of traffic?...

Jeff Howard

Santa, Bring Me this Analytics Hack for Organic SEO

Dear Santa, I've worked hard this year, I served my clients with dedication and provided value to every organization I've touched. However, I still need better tools to help justify SEO practices. Please have your best elf programmer develop this hack so the value behind SEO becomes more transparent in 2010....

Manoj Jasra

The Small Business Owner's Handbook to Search Engine Optimization

Last week I caught up with Stephen Woessner, the author of The Small Business Owner's Handbook to Search Engine Optimization.  In his book, Stephen outlines a 15-step process to help improve the performance of your website in organic search.  In our chat, Stephen gave me some insight into his latest SEO book....

Stoney deGeyter

Take Your SEO from Trash to Cash

A lot of businesses spend their energy on the "exterior" (search engine rankings) while ignoring the interior (building a great website.) One cannot survive without the other.

Charles Lumpkin

Basic SEO: Sitemaps. With an "S"

In this episode, Charles Lumpkin, talks about the importance of having not just one, but two sitemaps....

Jennifer Laycock

The Upcoming Battle of the Social Media Industry

While I'm a social media strategist for small businesses, my background is in organic search engine optimization. In other words, I come from the "original" snake oil of online marketing. Social media, for all it's hype and loyalists STILL hasn't broken through the mainstream marketing barrier. It's where SEO was half a dozen or more years ago. It's fighting to define itself, to justify itself and to legitimize itself.

Mike Moran

Is your site ready for search marketing?

I realize that to some, this is a dumb question. I mean, if you have a Web site, why would you NOT optimize it for search? Organic search is the cheapest way to bring people to your site and paid search is the easiest, so it's a no-brainer for you to recommend that every blessed Web site on the Internet dive right into search marketing, right? Wrong....

Stoney deGeyter

Getting the Itch to Start from Scratch

Over the past few months I've been working on a personal hobby site. It's been a lot of work but I've learned some valuable insights.

Jennifer Laycock

Four (ok twelve) Reasons to Build a Social Media Strategy

Here are four key reasons why your company needs to consider planning and launching a social media campaign this year....

Sage Lewis

Let Social Media Pick Your Pizza

I always believed that Pizzeria Uno was the best pizza. But I wasn't positive until I got confirmation from the people in my social media class. They all confirmed to me that it was indeed the best pizza. Social proof is incredibly powerful. It compels people to try new products and it also validates what existing customers already believed. Get testimonials!...

Eric Brown

Will 2010 be the Year for Engagement

It seems a lot of small and midsized businesses are starting to introduce social media into their marketing arsenal. Perhaps it is because of budget restrictions or they just want some of the profound buzz surrounding the social media craze.But what happens once the Facebook fan page is up, but has few fans, Twitter account is live, but only a handful of followers and a blog with no comments and little interaction? Now what?...

Charles Lumpkin

How to Get Links From .edu Domains Using the Skew Method

In this video, Charles Lumpkin shares an easy and practical way to get links from valuable .edu domains....

Sage Lewis

My View From SES Chicago

I have this theory that at every Search Engine Strategies conference there is a particular theme. I often times have a feeling for what I think the theme will be early in the week. I didn't really know what it was for much of the week. I think I finally figured it out. Watch to see what I think....

Miriam Ellis

Landmark Local Categories List

Talk about Happy Holidays and the spirit of giving! Mike Blumenthal has just published the very first Complete Google LBC Category List we've ever seen. This is the gift Local SEOs and local-focused business owners have been waiting for and it vastly simplifies the process of picking the right categories for a given business - something you can't afford to make a mistake about!...

Christian Arno

Cultural Customization: Localization and Keywords for International Markets

English may still be the dominant language in terms of content on the Web, but the majority of the world's internet users' first language isn't English. And this disparity creates a rather lucrative opportunity for those seeking to enter new markets: the competition for key search terms is much less on the non-English language internet, therefore it's possible to achieve high search engine rankings far easier than in English....

Mike Moran

Are search metrics optional?

Trust me. I know the right way to do organic search marketing. I know that you start with metrics. I know that you must measure the traffic that comes to the site and see how many people convert. I've even written a couple of books that have a strong metrics focus to Internet marketing, organic search marketing in particular. But when I talk to small businesses, I am more and more wondering if search metrics are optional, at least at first....

Jeff Howard

8 Local Search Case Studies

These eight case studies with stats to back them up help reaffirm confidence that local search is a viable option for many types of businesses. Learn how a Horse Stable, Jeweler, Nursery School, Local Bank, Car Wash, Orthodontics, Tanning Salon, and Insurance Company have all used local search to drive leads and grow their business....

Manoj Jasra

Yahoo Continues to Disappoint

2 years ago I wrote a post titled: "Yahoo, Where is the Love?" which questioned whether or not Yahoo had issues with ranking Blogspot blogs strongly in its index. In 2007 we noticed that for the majority of our top ranking keywords in Google were well outside of the top 30 in Yahoo...

Ross Dunn

How a Google Penalty Can Make Your Site Stronger

Over the past 12 years consulting on web marketing  I have answered countless questions but one question I receive often stands out from all; how to remove a Google penalty....

Jeff Howard

6 Common Google Maps Problems & the Solutions

Google is paving the way for small business owners to take a proactive approach toward online marketing. For lots of folks seeking better local exposure claiming their business at the Google Local Business Center is their first step into the realm of search marketing. But, it's not always smooth sailing. The maps system has bugs, limitations, and can sometimes misrepresent a business causing a steady decline in leads. Here are 6 common mishaps straight from the Goolge Maps help forum....

Sage Lewis

Google Wave - I'm not so sure

So I've been playing around with Google Wave. I'm not sure about the whole hoopla. Here's my take....

Stoney deGeyter

How Small Business Owners Can Build a Blog Without Blowing the Business

Many small business owners are out there thinking "Blogging? That's just one more thing to add to my already over-booked work schedule. No thanks." I feel you. But blogging is an important aspect of growing your business. The key to good blogging is understanding how to work it in, prioritize it properly, and not to feel obligated to anybody but your family and customers.

Robert Clough

If You See This Ad, It's Not Us

A company has created an ad that they are running through Google's AdSense on our site that, in my opinion, makes it look too much like the services are offered by us.  We have nothing to do with the company....

Jennifer Laycock

The Super Simple Guide to Setting Up Your First Company Facebook Page Without Blowing a Gasket - Part Three

Today we're going to take a look at how to make use of the Photos and Video applications. These are your chances to really add some content to your Facebook Page. Sure, you can (and probably should) have this content set up on other areas of the web designed for it (Photos could be shared over at Flickr and videos find homes on sites like YouTube), but there is an advantage in housing this content on Facebook.

Stoney deGeyter

How a Little Blogging Can Make a Big Difference for the Small Business

Luckily the prophets of doom have been wrong more than they've been right. Now they are claiming the death of blogging. According to Wired Magazine, Twitter, Flickr and Facebook are the new "it" and blogging is on it's way out. We'll file that right next to the death of SEO!

SEO: Be a Content Creation Beast

Santa, Bring Me this Analytics Hack for Organic SEO

The Small Business Owner's Handbook to Search Engine Optimization

Take Your SEO from Trash to Cash

Basic SEO: Sitemaps. With an "S"

The Upcoming Battle of the Social Media Industry

Is your site ready for search marketing?

Getting the Itch to Start from Scratch

Four (ok twelve) Reasons to Build a Social Media Strategy

Let Social Media Pick Your Pizza

Will 2010 be the Year for Engagement

How to Get Links From .edu Domains Using the Skew Method

My View From SES Chicago

Landmark Local Categories List

Cultural Customization: Localization and Keywords for International Markets

Are search metrics optional?

8 Local Search Case Studies

Yahoo Continues to Disappoint

How a Google Penalty Can Make Your Site Stronger

6 Common Google Maps Problems & the Solutions

Google Wave - I'm not so sure

How Small Business Owners Can Build a Blog Without Blowing the Business

If You See This Ad, It's Not Us

The Super Simple Guide to Setting Up Your First Company Facebook Page Without Blowing a Gasket - Part Three

How a Little Blogging Can Make a Big Difference for the Small Business