I was just wandering through the web when I found this website. I found it artistic, but could not understand the art as I am an Internet Marketer not an Artist. What I noticed was different for what I have experienced? This website www [dot] exactitude [dot] nl is a GPR6 website and I was amazed to see the Google Page Rank as there's nothing present on the page in text. When I saw the source code there's nothing????!!!!! Even the text only version of Google's cache didn't show any alphabet - then how come it has got a PR of 6.
Is this not PARTIALITY of Google?
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
New Google Search Options 'changing SEO'
Google's recently launched Search Options look set to make search engine optimisation(SEO) more people-focused, it has been suggested.
The new features allow web users to refine their Google searches in greater detail and it is likely this will mean website marketers need to consider the needs of these people more when implementing SEO.
Companies wanting to get their web pages noticed by people likely to be using these filters need to consider applying SEO principles to their videos, participating in the relevant forums and encouraging customers to post product reviews.
"Search options from Google should be applauded and embraced, because as a content provider and/or a business, you also have more options with regards to which Google results your content will be found in".
Google announced the Search Options feature at its Searchology conference earlier this month.
The search engine also unveiled details of its Google Squared project, which automatically retrieves and organises facts from the web without returning a list of website links.
The new features allow web users to refine their Google searches in greater detail and it is likely this will mean website marketers need to consider the needs of these people more when implementing SEO.
Companies wanting to get their web pages noticed by people likely to be using these filters need to consider applying SEO principles to their videos, participating in the relevant forums and encouraging customers to post product reviews.
"Search options from Google should be applauded and embraced, because as a content provider and/or a business, you also have more options with regards to which Google results your content will be found in".
Google announced the Search Options feature at its Searchology conference earlier this month.
The search engine also unveiled details of its Google Squared project, which automatically retrieves and organises facts from the web without returning a list of website links.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
SEO: Good SEO Means Good Client Communication
When you are communicating with peers you use the insider language that you and your peers understand. If a normal person were to overhear a couple of SEOs discussing their work they would probably walk away wondering what they hell they were talking about and why they were let out of the mental health facility without any meds. The language of SEO can seem like Greek to most people but when it comes to dealing with clients it pays to translate.
Speaking in (SEO) Tongues
On a basic level most do understand that SEO is designed to deliver targeted traffic in organic search results pages though we still have experienced some client representatives who don’t yet know the difference between organic and paid results.
Therefore it is important to explain everything - from overall concept and strategy to specific techniques in a manner that the layperson can understand. When an SEO starts throwing around terms like “mod rewrite”, “canonical domains”, “link siloing”, and so forth, the client is going to become confused and probably tune out. Even IT people, who are sometimes involved as a client presentative, can find themselves lost in the woods with this specialized terminology.
When a client doesn’t understand the information being provided they won’t be capable of passing the information along to the rest of their organization and chances are the recommendations won’t be implemented. The end result? The client sees no improvement in organic search which reinforces the all-too prevalent idea that SEO is a black art practiced by shady snake oil salesmen. When an organization spends good money to get recommendations that they can’t understand or implement, it can understandably fuel organizational antagonism towards SEO.
We have come across a number of clients who have been burned by SEOs in the past. Much of the negative experience can be chalked up to the fact that their previous SEO provided confusing recommendations that they simply didn’t or couldn’t know how to implement. Mistrust of the one SEO vendor then led to skepticism of the SEO industry in general.
Help Clients Understand
While the nomenclature and naming conventions around some SEO concepts can require the use of technical terminology, there are ways to explain them in a client-friendly manner. If a client has a poorly constructed URLs that can be cleaned up using Mod Rewrite it is important to explain exactly what URL rewriting is, how to implement the recommendations, and the benefit that can be gained from doing so. This should be done using simple non-technical language.
Of course some SEOs attempt to impress their clients by using industry specific jargon that’s not understood outside of the search marketing world. This helps no one and in fact can be a red flag.
Our belief as an SEO provider is that clarity should be a core concept. We want our recommendations to be implemented - if nobody understands our recommendations that simply won’t happen. Quality work doesn’t count if nobody can understand what you have done or are recommending. This is especially so in the world of SEO which relies on a true partnership between the vendor who recommends and the client who implements. Implementation often relies on two steps - the client understanding the recommendation and then being able to explain it throughout their organization.
By providing clients with easy to understand recommendations they will be more likely to implement and see results. This will lead to happier clients and help improve the image of the SEO industry.
Speaking in (SEO) Tongues
On a basic level most do understand that SEO is designed to deliver targeted traffic in organic search results pages though we still have experienced some client representatives who don’t yet know the difference between organic and paid results.
Therefore it is important to explain everything - from overall concept and strategy to specific techniques in a manner that the layperson can understand. When an SEO starts throwing around terms like “mod rewrite”, “canonical domains”, “link siloing”, and so forth, the client is going to become confused and probably tune out. Even IT people, who are sometimes involved as a client presentative, can find themselves lost in the woods with this specialized terminology.
When a client doesn’t understand the information being provided they won’t be capable of passing the information along to the rest of their organization and chances are the recommendations won’t be implemented. The end result? The client sees no improvement in organic search which reinforces the all-too prevalent idea that SEO is a black art practiced by shady snake oil salesmen. When an organization spends good money to get recommendations that they can’t understand or implement, it can understandably fuel organizational antagonism towards SEO.
We have come across a number of clients who have been burned by SEOs in the past. Much of the negative experience can be chalked up to the fact that their previous SEO provided confusing recommendations that they simply didn’t or couldn’t know how to implement. Mistrust of the one SEO vendor then led to skepticism of the SEO industry in general.
Help Clients Understand
While the nomenclature and naming conventions around some SEO concepts can require the use of technical terminology, there are ways to explain them in a client-friendly manner. If a client has a poorly constructed URLs that can be cleaned up using Mod Rewrite it is important to explain exactly what URL rewriting is, how to implement the recommendations, and the benefit that can be gained from doing so. This should be done using simple non-technical language.
Of course some SEOs attempt to impress their clients by using industry specific jargon that’s not understood outside of the search marketing world. This helps no one and in fact can be a red flag.
Our belief as an SEO provider is that clarity should be a core concept. We want our recommendations to be implemented - if nobody understands our recommendations that simply won’t happen. Quality work doesn’t count if nobody can understand what you have done or are recommending. This is especially so in the world of SEO which relies on a true partnership between the vendor who recommends and the client who implements. Implementation often relies on two steps - the client understanding the recommendation and then being able to explain it throughout their organization.
By providing clients with easy to understand recommendations they will be more likely to implement and see results. This will lead to happier clients and help improve the image of the SEO industry.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Effective Marketing Tricks to Boost Your Business During The Recession
Throughout this economic downturn, Experts are suggesting that now is the time to increase marketing and advertising spending because it is likely your competitors are pulling back. Yet, how are you supposed to increase marketing with constricting budgets, decreased cash flow and diminishing revenues? Welcome to the Catch-22 of business marketing.
Fortunately, there are ways to increase your marketing efforts and improve client acquisition techniques without necessarily increasing spending. Here are some marketing tricks you can adopt immediately to boost your business during slow times.
1. Start a blog
Yes, blogging is time consuming and takes commitment. But it is also one of the least expensive methods for establishing a professional “presence” on the Internet. The good news is once you have a blog and it begins receiving a growing number of visitors, you have a “home base” with which you can leverage additional Internet marketing tactics, such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. One of the most popular blogging platforms, WordPress, is completely free and you can create your blog instantly at wordpress or on blogger.
2. Participate in other blogs
Once you have a blog and a “voice” of your own, share your opinions in the “comments” section of relevant blogs. By reading other blogs pertinent to your industry or topic, you become more knowledgeable, and by sharing knowledge or insights with other blog visitors, you further establish your own expertise. It also doesn’t hurt that you can include a link back to your own blog within your signature.
3. Enhance your business Web site with links to industry blogs
This step assumes you already have a Web site for your business. If you don’t, you must get one. Once you have a Web site, the next step is incorporating “Web 2.0” functionality so the Web site does not seem “static.” One of the easiest ways to do this is to add an RSS Feed of your own blog to your Web page. Add other RSS feeds or links to other industry blogs, too. Once potential customers start viewing your Web site as a hub from which they can get information, they are much more likely to revisit your site often. That kind of loyalty and trust is often punctuated with a purchase.
4. Write and publish a book
With self-publishing service providers, publishing a book is easier and faster than ever. And, as a business person in your industry, you possess the knowledge and experience to write and publish a non-fiction book that is relevant to your past, present and future customers. For the sake of example, a book of this nature, in its simplest form, is basically a rewrite of your business model combined with a rewrite of your product/service manual. Not only is a book a revenue channel in its own right, but a published book further establishes your expertise to new customers and provides a low-cost entry to your business. Potential customers who may shy away from your product or service’s price point will be apt to purchase a book from you in the $20 range. It becomes the book’s responsibility to communicate all the advantages/benefits of your product or service. Bonus: Once you have published a book, you open up a whole new marketing opportunity by reaching new customers.
5. Offer your book free to potential clients as an e-book
What’s better than being able to acquire profitable new clients through a $20 “loss leader” like a book? Give your book away for free – all you ask in return is their e-mail address. They get something of value in exchange for adding to your e-mail database. Now, with their permission, you can provide them with additional information and assistance via e-mail, once a month, or at whatever duration you think is best. If they find your correspondence valuable, you are that much closer to adding a new customer to your business. How much did you lose? The royalty from the paperback book sale? What is $2-$10 in comparison to the $50-$200 cost-per-acquisition you typically pay for new customers the traditional way?
6. Engage in pay-per-click advertising
Once you have a blog, a paperback and a free e-book available on your Web site, you are prepared to successfully engage in high ROI (return on investment) pay-per-click Internet advertising through Google and Yahoo. Services such as Google Analytics will help you identify your cost-per-lead, and your own business model should help you identify an acceptable cost-per-lead. If your actual cost-per-lead is lower than your acceptable cost-per-lead, you have a successful marketing campaign. Otherwise, it requires a little refining.
7. Create “microsites” and “landing pages”
The next step is to categorize your pay-per-click campaign into separate and specific categories. Then, make sure people who click on specific keyword ads are arriving upon specific microsites or “landing pages” designed around those keywords. Further enhance your offerings by publishing multiple books (think around 100 pages) and offering multiple e-books, each one specific to each individual and each specific landing page. For instance, even though your business may cater to both mothers and fathers, women and men search for information on the Internet differently. When you advertise to them differently, and then treat them uniquely once they reach your site, they will each feel a personal connection with your business because you are treating them like an individual, rather than a wallet. Given the investment in the blog, in the book, and in the pay-per-click campaign, creating a “pink” version and a “blue” version of two different landing pages is a no-brainer. That is an over-simplification, but the point is the same.
By treating each potential client or customer as a unique individual and by liberally sharing a wealth of information with each of them, you begin to establish your own expertise while gaining their trust and loyalty. People buy from experts who they have reason to trust.
Now that you know how to increase your marketing techniques, even during a recession, imagine what you will be able to do once the economy turns around! These simple and cost-effective marketing steps will help you improve your client acquisition rates and sell more products and services, while your competitors cut back and lose out on new clients.
Fortunately, there are ways to increase your marketing efforts and improve client acquisition techniques without necessarily increasing spending. Here are some marketing tricks you can adopt immediately to boost your business during slow times.
1. Start a blog
Yes, blogging is time consuming and takes commitment. But it is also one of the least expensive methods for establishing a professional “presence” on the Internet. The good news is once you have a blog and it begins receiving a growing number of visitors, you have a “home base” with which you can leverage additional Internet marketing tactics, such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. One of the most popular blogging platforms, WordPress, is completely free and you can create your blog instantly at wordpress or on blogger.
2. Participate in other blogs
Once you have a blog and a “voice” of your own, share your opinions in the “comments” section of relevant blogs. By reading other blogs pertinent to your industry or topic, you become more knowledgeable, and by sharing knowledge or insights with other blog visitors, you further establish your own expertise. It also doesn’t hurt that you can include a link back to your own blog within your signature.
3. Enhance your business Web site with links to industry blogs
This step assumes you already have a Web site for your business. If you don’t, you must get one. Once you have a Web site, the next step is incorporating “Web 2.0” functionality so the Web site does not seem “static.” One of the easiest ways to do this is to add an RSS Feed of your own blog to your Web page. Add other RSS feeds or links to other industry blogs, too. Once potential customers start viewing your Web site as a hub from which they can get information, they are much more likely to revisit your site often. That kind of loyalty and trust is often punctuated with a purchase.
4. Write and publish a book
With self-publishing service providers, publishing a book is easier and faster than ever. And, as a business person in your industry, you possess the knowledge and experience to write and publish a non-fiction book that is relevant to your past, present and future customers. For the sake of example, a book of this nature, in its simplest form, is basically a rewrite of your business model combined with a rewrite of your product/service manual. Not only is a book a revenue channel in its own right, but a published book further establishes your expertise to new customers and provides a low-cost entry to your business. Potential customers who may shy away from your product or service’s price point will be apt to purchase a book from you in the $20 range. It becomes the book’s responsibility to communicate all the advantages/benefits of your product or service. Bonus: Once you have published a book, you open up a whole new marketing opportunity by reaching new customers.
5. Offer your book free to potential clients as an e-book
What’s better than being able to acquire profitable new clients through a $20 “loss leader” like a book? Give your book away for free – all you ask in return is their e-mail address. They get something of value in exchange for adding to your e-mail database. Now, with their permission, you can provide them with additional information and assistance via e-mail, once a month, or at whatever duration you think is best. If they find your correspondence valuable, you are that much closer to adding a new customer to your business. How much did you lose? The royalty from the paperback book sale? What is $2-$10 in comparison to the $50-$200 cost-per-acquisition you typically pay for new customers the traditional way?
6. Engage in pay-per-click advertising
Once you have a blog, a paperback and a free e-book available on your Web site, you are prepared to successfully engage in high ROI (return on investment) pay-per-click Internet advertising through Google and Yahoo. Services such as Google Analytics will help you identify your cost-per-lead, and your own business model should help you identify an acceptable cost-per-lead. If your actual cost-per-lead is lower than your acceptable cost-per-lead, you have a successful marketing campaign. Otherwise, it requires a little refining.
7. Create “microsites” and “landing pages”
The next step is to categorize your pay-per-click campaign into separate and specific categories. Then, make sure people who click on specific keyword ads are arriving upon specific microsites or “landing pages” designed around those keywords. Further enhance your offerings by publishing multiple books (think around 100 pages) and offering multiple e-books, each one specific to each individual and each specific landing page. For instance, even though your business may cater to both mothers and fathers, women and men search for information on the Internet differently. When you advertise to them differently, and then treat them uniquely once they reach your site, they will each feel a personal connection with your business because you are treating them like an individual, rather than a wallet. Given the investment in the blog, in the book, and in the pay-per-click campaign, creating a “pink” version and a “blue” version of two different landing pages is a no-brainer. That is an over-simplification, but the point is the same.
By treating each potential client or customer as a unique individual and by liberally sharing a wealth of information with each of them, you begin to establish your own expertise while gaining their trust and loyalty. People buy from experts who they have reason to trust.
Now that you know how to increase your marketing techniques, even during a recession, imagine what you will be able to do once the economy turns around! These simple and cost-effective marketing steps will help you improve your client acquisition rates and sell more products and services, while your competitors cut back and lose out on new clients.
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