Understanding Keywords

If you are like me, you’ve subscribed to the “if you build it they will come . . .” approach to web marketing. You’ve built or paid for a pretty website. You’ve made your global debut and now you sit and wait. And wait!

One of the key elements to search engine optimization (SEO) is developing keywords. Simple you say. Maybe not.

Recently I was working with client and we were discussing what keywords she wanted for her website. “Bookkeeping,” she boldly replied. We searched bookkeeping on Google (it has 65% of all traffic, so we tend use it as a barometer for search) - 20,900,000 responses for bookkeeping. Ugh – that’s a lot of web pages to try to compete with for attention.

“How about SF bookkeeping?” 1,060,000 responses for SF bookkeeping – better, but that’s still a lot of folks fighting for a top spot on Google.

“How about Noe Valley, SF bookkeeping?” 10,800 for Noe Valley, SF bookkeeping. So, instead of competing with 20 million users of a single keyword, we build “keyword phrases” to target our customers and increase our chances of being found on Google.

Targeted keyword phrases can include references to locale (Noe Valley), community (gay, hispanic) or whatever else distinguishes your business from all the other bookkeepers (or what ever it is that you do) out there.

Broken Links

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. . ." Charles Darwin

This is probably one of my favorite quotes. And its application to business is endless.

These days, many businesses use the web as a primary tool for marketing. We spend fortunes and endless hours building our websites, creating links and then we forget about them. Did I mention change?

That article in the NYTimes is gone, that link to the local Chamber is broken, that picture of your acceptance speech is missing - your visitors hit a dead end. You spend the time developing interesting content and links - don't let your user experience end on a broken link.

Alexa.com offers a link report and it's free. I recommend you run it periodically to clean up broken links. The first time you run it - you maybe surprised at what you find.

Remember, change is a fact of life and a fact of the Internet!

Location, Location, Location!

The Web has long been heralded as the Golden Grail to retailers - the world at your door, if it may. Many have launched, gone broke on Adwords and ridden off into the Internet sunset. What can we learn from our brick and mortar counterparts?

Any savvy retailer knows the age old mantra “location, location, location.” A quality location enhances visibility, benefits from foot traffic and leverages anchor tenants. The three principles of real estate success also apply to your home on the Web.

When you initially launch your store on the web, it’s like opening a retail outlet in the middle of nowhere. No foot traffic, no visibility and sadly no sales. You can spend a boat load of money trying to advertise your new location or you can can consider a tried and true alternative.

Many successful retailers locate their start ups in malls. Why? Because they know the strength of anchor tenants will drive foot traffic past their door. Therefore, the online business must find the Internet equivalent of an anchor tenant. You must get a prominent relevant site to link to your site.

“But why would anyone link to me, I am new?” That depends on your site. Does it add value to your target?

• Do you provide interesting articles and helpful tips that might be of interest to the target’s clientele?
• Do you offer a complimentary service to their product mix?
• Do you post helpful links and advice that might be beneficial to their customers?

If you position yourself as a valuable resource to an industry leader in your field, well you’ve just scored the little store next to Starbucks. And who wouldn’t want that foot traffic?

Why Doesn’t Anybody Visit My Website?

So, you’ve built a website and posted it for the world to see. Having launched your global marketing campaign, just sit back and reap the rewards. Sounds too good to be true? That’s because it is.

A successful website must be accessible to customers. So, unless customers can find your website, it doesn’t matter how amazing it is or how good your product is. According to Netcraft, there are over 80 million websites on the internet (in 2006), and the number is growing. With all that spam and cyber noise, how will you lead your customers to the treasure on your site?

You have to leave clues (search words, Meta Tags, and computer language markers) so search engines can recognize the value in your site, and lead your potential customers directly to you. Your clues must be clear so that customer web searches by key “search words” will return your website first in the list of results, at the top of the customer’s “search engine ranking."

But what if this is the first you’ve heard of Meta Tags, search word and search engine rankings? Do you need to hire a specialist to optimize your Internet website? One of the quickest way to answer this is to consider where is your time best spent.

There are benefits to hiring an outside service as well. Assuming you have selected a quality SEO company, you will be getting the services of well-trained and very experienced professionals rather than relying on your brother-in-law, who also keeps the books.

Impact Direct offers a helpful guideline on How to select an SEO Company.

99 Tips for Web Startups

You launched the business, you’ve built the website – and now you wait for the sales. And you wait. And you wait.

Then you are introduced to the wonderful world of Search Engine Optimization - Meta Tags, Keywords and Pay Per Clicks (Need a refresher? – Internet Search Engine Rankings). Trying to buy visibility on the Search Engines can be an expensive, if not futile, process.

The folks over at Aviva Directory have come up with a comprehensive list of tips using viral and guerilla marketing tactics to create brand awareness on a tight budget - "Little Known Ways to Brand on the Cheap: 99 Tips for Poor Web Startups" While many of these tips have some cost associated with them, the article provides a good overview. With this guide you can selectively pick and choose the option that works best for your site and your budget.