Search Engine Optimization

Google "Like" Button

Apr 012011

Have you seen the Google “Like” button in search results? It’s officially called Google +1. It appears and works something like Facebook’s “Like” button. You can see your friend’s approval of sites and it might impact your decision to make a purchase or view a website.

From the official Google blog, Google’s statement about this button is: “Our goal at Google is to get you the most relevant results as quickly as possible. But relevance is about relationships as well as words on webpages.”

Adding social searches to Google is nothing new. Finding Twitter and Facebook comments is part of the normal organic search. But now Google is taking the social aspect one step further. If your friends, family or co-w0rkers like the website and click on the “like” button, there will be a greater chance you will view the same website or purchase the product.

In order to use this Google “Like” button, you will need to have a Google profile. Don’t think Google doesn’t know the science in marketing. Right now, Google has your button ratings viewable on your Google profile. Not only is this button seen in organic searches, Google +1 is also available on Google’s paid ads.

Now what does this mean to the website owner? I’m not sure at this point but you want to be sure you have a Gmail account and a Google profile for yourself and your business. Google is planning to have a gadget to add this button to your own website but it isn’t available yet! Let’s see what direction Google goes with this button and begin by watching this video created by Google about this “Like” button called Google+1.

Google+1 is still in it’s early stages and will probably be tweaked regarding how much emphesis these ratings have on search results. Will this change search engine optimization? Perhaps, but social media has already started that. And if your business isn’t represented on sites such as Facebook, Linkedin, or Merchant Circle, now is the time to start. You don’t want to be left behind from this great method of internet marketing!

How to Find Links to Your Website

Backlinks No Responses »

Mar 012011

Do you want to know how to find links to your website? You might have recently read about the problem with JCPenney and their SEO company. If you haven’t, here is a link to the New York Times article.

If you understand the basics of SEO, you grasp the significance of links to your website. Because of the importance of linking, people can go to great measures to get better results with more links! These mis-happenings occur every day with websites. JCPenney is a well known retail store so it hit the news quickly! So let’s examine link building a little closer.

There is much more of a fine line between good and bad SEO in reference to linking. Google approves of SEO but is much more vague about the SEO rules then people understand. Let’s create two hypothetical scenarios:

How to Find Links to Your Website
Here are two examples:

1. You write and place a great article on a website and the following week 100K people link to your article.

2. JCPenney pays an SEO company to get links and in one week 100K links appear.

The power of linking is incredible! At one time if you searched for “failure” in Google you got Michael Moore’s site and George Bush’s bio. This happened only because people from each side linked to each of those sites with the word “failure” in the link. Google fixed this, but search for “failure” now and you will see references to it.

All good SEO companies encourage linking but the difference between good and bad (according to Google) is that it should be slow and natural (sincere) vs. instant, paid or unrelated links. SEO Does Matter declines linking requests all the time because they are not relevant to what our clients’ content is about. JCPenney was being linked to, from any website possible.

So does pursuing links imply bad SEO tactics? No, it doesn’t. You should work hard to follow what Google wants and recommends. (When you have some time, read about it in Google Webmaster Guidelines.) Referring back to my second example, imagine you wrote that article and had a bunch of people linked to it and none of their sites were relevant to the website that you placed your article on. This lack of relevancy could cause this site to be penalized from this innocent action.

Here are 5 ways to find links to your website!

Use theme based relevant links
Manually add each link instead of paying for automated links
Find websites that have good page rank and appear in good standing
Use permanent links from websites that are relevant to your website
Use links that are search engine friendly (based off of Google Webmaster Guidelines)

Use quality link building techniques! Keep good standards with Google and all search engines. Then, continue to work hard and enjoy SEO benefits from your search engine results!

Rapper Steps for SEO

Search Engine Optimization, Videos 2 Responses »

Feb 152011

This post is for the younger generation! Here is a rapper that preforms and raps some SEO tips! I thought he did a pretty good job and I was “down” with this video! This is for teens and young people interested in SEO. Watch this video and follow these steps for SEO that this rapper raps about, all translated below for those who can’t understand the rapping rapper!

Steps for SEO:

Page rank – If you want your listing in the top position, you should pay attention and increase your website’s page rank. (This can be seen in Google’s toolbar)
Content – Add lots of unique content to your website with at least 250 words per post or page. The more often, the better! (Use content relevant to your site.)
Headers or Titles – Add the H1 to the title on your web page
Cross Links – Make sure to use links within your site. (Also known as internal linking)
List items – Use bullet points to make it easier to read. (As I am doing here!)
Keywords – Use good keywords and make sure to use the keyword(s) approximately every 100 words (Also known as keyword density) Don’t use the keywords too many times. (Also known as keyword stuffing)
Navigation – Make sure the navigation of your web pages are done well without errors. (Also called on-page optimization)
Link Sculpting – Make sure your links work and don’t have errors. (This can be seen in Google Webmaster Tools)
Meta Tags – Use unique meta tags on each page.
Text Links – Use good keywords in links and put the link in the middle of content. (also known as anchor text)
Inbound Links – Get people to link to your web pages. This helps search engines know your website is valuable. Constantly work to increase links to your website. Use clients, distributors, manufactures and other related sites. Note: Link quality in better then link quantity. (This rapper doesn’t trade or buy links which can develop into bad SEO tactics and be expensive.)
Directories – Add your website to directories. (The rapper mentions Yahoo directory and states it costs $300.) You can find numerous good directories that are free!

I hope this rapper’s video and the summary helps you take some initial steps for SEO!

FINAL NOTE: If any of the rapper’s words are confusing, you can get the definitions in our SEO glossary. After watching this rapper’s video dealing with steps to SEO, search our SEO blog for more valuable information!

Online Services Vs. Retail Stores

Misc. No Responses »

Feb 012011

Online Services Vs Retail Stores The other day I talked to a clerk who worked at a Blockbuster DVD retail store. The store looked like it might be closing and I asked him if it was. His answer reflects online services vs. retail stores.

The employee stated that a lot of the retail stores were closing. As I listened, he stated that today most people purchase their DVD’s from online services such as Netflix or several other online websites.

This made me think about online internet marketing and search engine optimization. The fact is most people today use the internet to purchase products. Some people don’t even go to retail stores because of the good prices, search ability with search engines and websites and the ease of buying what you need from the comfort of your home.

So what does that mean to you? It means if you own a business or are self-employed, owning a website is essential to your small business! More importantly, the competition of websites is HUGE. There are millions of websites on the internet. If you want to win the sale from your competition you MUST be prepared to have better search optimization than the other websites selling the same product you have.

How do you optimize your website and have better results than your competition? It’s called search engine optimization. SEO services are necessary for your website to be successful. The same is true if you owned a sub shop and never marketed it from the other restaurants that surrounded your store. You would be out of business very soon!

If you want help or internet marketing consultation, contact us today!

SEO Best Practices Checklist

Search Engine Optimization 7 Responses »

Jan 102011

If you know about search engine optimization, you are probably aware there are a lot of different aspects to getting your website optimized for Google and other search engines. I want to give you a SEO best practices checklist to use with your website!

SEO Best Practices Checklist

Look for errors – Search engines don’t like to return to a website that has a bunch of errors. This task is a little more technical to do but it needs to be done correctly. Use Google Webmaster and correct errors such as broken links, duplicate content or status errors such as 404′s,403′s or 301 redirects. If you just got lost on this one, I’m sure you have seen websites and clicked on a link that took you to a broken web page. You got a error message or read a message that was very technical that only web developers can understand. The bottom line is this – search engine robots do not like these type of errors either!
Use meta tags and keywords – This is a very important aspect of SEO. There are many ways to research for keywords. I won’t get into this because there are many books on this one! To generalize this task, make sure each web page and title tags and descriptions and apply specific keywords related to your niche. If you are lost, contact us! Sometimes it is easier to hire a good SEO company (like us! )
Use reports to analyze your progress – As any good business or organization does, follow monthly reports such as Google Analytics, to see what relevant keywords are working. There are numerous reports that you can utilize to improve your website!

Use this SEO best practices checklist throughout the year. Continue to correct errors, adding content with keywords. Then look at reports on a monthly basis. Always remember that content is king but it only works if it is unique and is beautifully tied together for the content people are searching for!

Starting the New Year with SEO Services

Search Engine Optimization No Responses »

Dec 272010

Is your business starting the new year with SEO services? If it isn’t, you need to rethink your internet marketing strategies! If you have a website and are trying to promote a product or a service, search engine optimization is a must. I constantly see business after business not using internet marketing tactics.

Any time Tom and I are driving, we notice business vans and the signage on the side of them. Surprisingly, many times these vehicles do not have a website. We laugh and say we need to roll down the window and say, “Hey, do you know you can get a lot of customers and leads through internet marketing?”

I was given a business card by a family member last week and thought the card was well done. It had attractive pastel colors, words which triggered my emotions, and looked simple….yet no website! What a sad situation. If you think a website does the same thing as a business card you only have half the truth! A website also openings up huge opportunities for you to market your business to millions of people that you would never normally be in contact with one-on-one…when you optimize your website with search engine optimization.

So, what is your new year’s resolution? I suggest if you don’t already have a website, get one!! If you have a website, start the new year with SEO services. Contact us today and let us help your business blossom in 2011!!

The Nativity Story with Social Media

Christian Internet Marketing, Social Media, Videos No Responses »

Dec 202010

It’s that time of year again! It’s Christmas time and we focus on the Nativity Story; the story of the birth of Jesus. Most people know the story about Mary and Joseph. Jesus, the son of God was born in a manager because there was no room in the inn. This Christmas video below is that same well-known story, but also, it is the Nativity Story with social media. It is interesting, and hopefully no one will find it disrespectful of our Lord and Savior.

We found the Nativity Story in modern day times to be a great way people can relate with social media and to Christmas! Bravo to Excentric! Social Media and popular websites included were: Gmaill, Wikipedia, Google Maps, Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook, Amazon, and Youtube!

We also hope you take the time this Christmas to focus on who Baby Jesus was and why God came down to earth. He is the Savior of the World! For more information about who Jesus is, please visit this website: Online Bible Study for Beginners.

We wish YOU a Merry Christmas !!!

How Do I Get a Better Listing in Search Engines?

Basic SEO 2 Responses »

Dec 132010

Question – How Do I Get a Better Listing in Search Engines?

Answer - BASICS Of INTERNET MARKETING – SEO

1) On page optimization – Tags (title description, keyword, headings, text, good navigation) along with a clear subject matter focus, calls to action, Google sitemaps and more….

2) Back links – Link exchanging. These can be links from other sites, blogs, and directories. This shows Google you are an authority in your field.

3) Online Competition – No one controls this. If there is a lot, it is necessary to spend more time and resources to attain good rankings.

OUR CONCEPTS

1) Multiple pages

Reasons:
• Google values pages with unique keywords, meta tags and content on a site with a related theme. One keyword (phrase) per page
• This allows you to have many different keywords (combinations of locations and services)

Process:
• This can be done by making unique static pages OR,
• Using a database system pages can be made for many cities, counties and states, without the cost of making separate static pages.

2) Multiple sites

Reason:
• Normally Google only allows a site to be on the first page once. With multiple domains you can be on the first page many times.

Process:
• Keywords should be in the domains
• Sites can, and should look similar (for branding) – Existing designs can be utilized
• The text has to be unique; Google takes plagiarism seriously and will penalize what it considers duplicate content. Each site has to have unique content.
• Each site should be focused on one subject or theme. Financial advisor, wealth advisor, financial planner, etc.
• Sites should be hosted on different servers (the sites shouldn’t have the same IP address). This allows the sites to be linked together and not related.
• A valuable option is wordpress blog platform sites.

Benefits:
o Simple for the clients to update, make changes or add to at their convenience.
o No cost.
o They do very well in Google.
o 1000 FREE templates to choose from, 100′s of free plug-ins and add-ons. ALL FREE

3) Social Media Marketing and Other Forms of Internet Marketing

Social media marketing involved websites such as Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and Youtube. Other areas you can market include: directories, profiles, press releases and articles.

Internet Marketing is like the billboards on the highway of marketing. The more billboards you have, the more people will see your business represented!!

Have questions? Contact us today!

Finding Quality Relevant Links

Backlinks 3 Responses »

Dec 082010

Finding Quality Relevant Links Finding quality, relevant links is an important aspect of the linking process! We get emails asking to trade links with us. Many people don’t have an understanding of what valuable back-linking is.

When another website adds your website link to their site, Google and other search engines take note of that and assumes you have an important website. The more links that point to your site, the more search engines believe your site is important.

Here are a couple of linking tips:

As you look for other websites to link with you, look for websites that are relevant to your website. For example: If you have a plumbing company, link with other plumbers! I find that many times the “other plumbers” reject linking with you. I guess it’s because each other plumbers are considered competition. But look a little deeper. If you are a plumber in California, will you be competing with a plumber from Indiana? I don’t think so! Linking to someone in the same niche field is very helpful to you!
Find quality websites and don’t link with a website that has a lower pagerank. Websites that look “spammy” probably are just that. And it won’t help you. Here is an example: If the newspaper is linking to you, it would be great for you, correct? The newspaper would be a quality website. If a website with ads and a hidden agenda links to you, it wouldn’t help you and could possibly hinder you if Google learns that the website is doing anything to violate Google’s policies.

Don’t forget to add good keyword anchor text to your link since search engines will pick up on these relevant words. If you need help with good keywords, take a look at some of our other blog posts about keywords and SEO practices.

Finding quality, relevant links is an important process in the SEO world. Your website should be considered “popular” as newspaper websites. Look for other quality, relevant websites and consider writing a blog post for them in exchange for a link! There are many linking opportunities out there. The possibilities are endless!

Happy 50th Birthday, Tom Savoca!

Misc. No Responses »

Nov 262010

I had to add this birthday post for my husband, Tom Savoca!

Tom is celebrating his 50th birthday this month on November 30! Please take a minute of your time and wish him a “Happy 50th Birthday” in a comment, email or on Facebook or Linkedin. Tom enjoys the attention and would love to hear from each of you! You can also go to his website, Tom Savoca and send him a birthday message on his contact form.

happy birthday tom savoca

Tom Savoca is the President of SEO Does Matter, Inc. He specializes in search engine optimization and mass web development. His hobbies include fast cars and pizza. His favorite movie is Star Wars! Tom turns the BIG 50 on November 30!