Years ago, I worked in an industry that had a hard-to-define product. Well, perhaps the product was not hard-to-define, but public reaction to it could be unpredictable. For that reason, people in this industry took an intuitive approach to marketing, using instinct to guide them rather than cold, hard facts. Once, I even had a boss tell me that it was like “throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.”

Today, this industry is in trouble. I’m sure it will survive, but there is no doubt that things will have to change in order for it to thrive. I will also add that this notion of “seeing what sticks” pre-dated serious internet use, so that it was not possible to use to web to learn consumer habits the way it is now.

As much as we are in favor of “doing what comes naturally” and “going with the flow,” you should know that improving your search engine optimization in an organic way does involve some analysis of data and an examination of website usage.

When it comes to your website and web traffic, there is no need to play guessing games. You do not have to keep throwing up new things to see if they work. We can help you look at your site usage to determine how people are using your site, which pages are “sticky” (keep internet users interest for the longest periods of time), and the most popular keywords that people use to find your site.

Once you get an analysis with a breakdown of the terms people are using to search for products or services, we can help your organize your site in a way that goes with and not against the natural tendencies of your customers. You will also see the average amount of times each month those terms are searched on so we can determine which terms will provide the most traffic and this highest ROI.

When you employ Increase Visibility, you will see the enormous benefits of becoming highly ranked for your industries specific search terms. Some of these benefits include: higher sales volume, better brand recognition and increased market share. Increase Visibility excels in providing SEO services and our clients include many Fortune 1000 companies.

Call us today at 877-SEO ADVICE (877-736-2384) to learn more about our SEO plans.

Trust Factor

People tend to put more faith in organic search results than in paid or sponsored results. This does not mean that sponsored results do not get attention, however. What it is does mean is that although a search engine is not a trusted friend, people treat it as if it were. Web users rely on search engines to work as a virtual grapevine that sifts through the plethora of available information to let them know what really matters most.

You ask your friends to recommend service providers because you trust their judgment. You figure that they won’t steer you wrong because if they had a good experience then you will too. It is the same with organic search results. Unlike paid advertisements, organic search results let someone else sing your praises. This is why web users like to relay on organic searches to present them with the options that seem most legitimate. The algorithms behind search engine results are complicated, but in part they do reflect website options that were preferable to large numbers of internet users,

Trust Translates into Transactions

Even if a consumer does not immediately go to your website and buy a product or sign up for a service the first time that your organization appears after they conduct an online search, this does not mean that they will not do so.

It is important to continue to optimize your web presence because you will see the difference over time. When you use targeted keywords, you should find that organic searches translate into sales.  Increase Visibility can provide an insightful analysis of your website to help you narrow down exactly what are the most relevant keywords for your business.

However, it does take effort on your part to get noticed by the people and search engines that can publicize your brand, product and message. You may be absolutely wonderful, but if no one knows this, then it does you little good.

And this is where Increase Visibility comes into the picture. Let Increase Visibility assist you in getting your name out there by optimizing your web presence and helping to increase link popularity. We can make sure that search engines know that you are there and that you want to help people who type in searches on specific topics that relate to your business.

Variety really is the spice of life, as they say. And when it comes to marketing your organization on the web, and it is key to marketing yourself on the web as well. To delve further into our cache of cliches: you really do not want to put all of your eggs into one basket. Increase Visibility employs a variety of methods—keyword analysis, social media marketing and pay per click advertising to get results for their clients.

Some people want to get everything at no additional cost, while others believe that you really do get what you pay for. Who is right? When it comes to SEO and organic search placement–both sides are correct.

There are ways to get your name out there without paying extra for it. You already have a website, so you can start with optimizing the content on your website. Increase Visibility can analyze your website to see if you are using the proper keywords to promote organic listings. Once the organic keyword terms have been determined, we will optimize the website according to current search engine standards, incorporating in the key terms.

You can also make use of free directories. After all, if someone is willing to create a directory and let you be included at no cost, why not take advantage of this? We will submit your organization to the top free directories.

On the other had there are also directories that require payment. We can submit your website to these directories as well and this will send traffic your way and build link popularity.

Whether you prefer to try get as much free promotion as you can or don’t mind paying for it, there is one thing that is definitely worth pay for and that is  good help. Increase Visibility is an award-winning SEO firm that helps you grow your business by expanding your reach on the web, leaving you free to take care of that business. We were recently honored by being included in the top 3 in PromotionWorld’s Readers’ Choice Awards for the best Search Engine Marketing (SEM) companies. We have also been ranked #1 or #2 for SEO firms for August 2008 – February 2009 by TopSEOs.com by convincing the search engines to reward their clients with top search engine placements.

Visit our website and take a look at our SEO Plans. Then you can call us and find out how our Website Marketing Plans can help your online business succeed: 877 SEO ADVICE, 877 736 2384.

On Tuesday, we talked about how sometimes you can find yourself disappointed with the results of an advertising campaign (If Advertising Hasn’t Worked, Try SEO). The rise of our internet culture put the power of choice into consumers’ hands. Really, the choice to buy or not to buy always rested with consumers, but some companies mistakenly believed that they could lead or sway consumers by blanketing the world with advertising.

The fragmentation of the media means that people are not watching one of three news channels during dinner at 6pm or deciding between a few major magazines. Now, everybody is looking for messages and products that are tailored specifically for them. And although it sounds chaotic, this is actually a good thing. Your next paying customer is not expecting you to knock on his or her door. They are actively seeking you. It is up to you to make sure that this person can find you.

People still tend to go with the recommendations of friends, relatives and sometimes even strangers. While search engines are not something people would call “a trusted friend,” they still pay a lot of attention to what search engines have to say about the companies in a certain field. A search engine basically makes recommendations based on the information that it has gathered after combing the internet. It takes the search terms that internet users type in and compares them to what it has found on various websites, looking for the closest match. Search engines also take into account how many other internet users have looked at various sites too. While this is a very simple breakdown of what search engines do, you can see how they act to recommend websites and why you need to get their attention.

Increase Visibility can analyze your website to see if you are using the kind of keywords that will lead eager customers to your site through the various search engines. If you are the best in the world, but they cannot find you, this does you no good. You want to make sure that customers can find you based on common themes.

At Increase Visibility we work to get you in place to be seen by those searching eyes. And to reach those human eyes, you first have to get the attention of search engines. We will determine the keywords that will get you noticed, implement these keywords as part of an SEO plan and report back to you with the results.

We recently came across a very interesting article on organic placement by a professional who was not in our field, but yet this person made a compelling case for search engine optimization. He was actually advising his colleagues to invest in getting help with SEO and organic search placement. According to this professional, one of the reasons that advertising does not necessarily bring in the expected yield is that we have all become savvy editors for ads, much in the same way a Tivo can extract commercials.

This man remembered the 1970s when direct mail was all the rage. Apparently he once had a forward-thinking boss, who even in pre-Internet days, spoke to him about the limited power of advertising.

You can do all kinds of research and go crazy trying to lure people to your website or online store, only to find that they continually pass you by. So what do you do? You get the customers to come to you. And you can do this using organic search placement. . If you have spend a lot of money trying to come up with clever slogans and enticing messages only to wonder if that money could have gone elsewhere, why not try to make the most of your web presence through search engine optimization.

Rather than plastering the world with advertising and playing the numbers game, you can be in place so that interested customers come to you seeking the products and services that they already know that they want. Once they see that your organization is a top of line supplier of what they are looking for, they will not need to be primed to take action, because they will already be set on making a purchase.

Simply visit our website and fill out a form for a free website analysis. This will allow Increase Visibility’s trained technicians to see what the search engines see and determine what needs to be done to improve the success and make certain that your website is at the top of the list when people search for terms related to your industry. An experienced search engine consultant will email you the findings within 24 hours of your request and then contact you to discuss your options and how we can help you increase your revenue this year from your company website.

Earlier this week, we discussed how SEO and online reputation management are only going to increase in importance in 2009. Now, let us tell you just one of the reason’s why it is so very important that you have an online marketing plan in place: Google SearchWiki.

Google launched its SearchWiki last fall. New Google features do not get the kind of press that latest new model computers or cars get, but these things have an impact on your online presence.
Signed-in Google users can use the SearchWiki to re-rank, delete, add and make comments on search results. A Google user can only make these alterations to their own searches and Google stores these changes for the individual user.

You may be thinking that this is not big deal. If someone re-ranks you on their own personal search page then they are the only ones who know…whether someone decides to move your company’s website or blog up or down is no big deal, right? Wrong. Google also allows individual users to see the ways that other people have customized their searches. Signed-in Google users can see the notes and edits that other people have made with just one click.

As if you didn’t already know, people can influence others to buy or stay away from certain products. This happens through word of mouth and it also happened through “word of web,” as the Google SearchWiki demonstrates. You may not be able to control everything that is said about your business online, but you can be proactive about getting your message out there.

This is especially true if your customer base is web savvy and up on the latest. At least one SEO expert has already predicted that the Google SearchWiki will become increasingly popular and you need to be aware that it can affect your business and your reputation. And this should not scare you because it can be a good thing. Certainly, some internet users will have positive things to say that will send customers your way.

Increase Visibility can help you:
-Improve Organic Search Placement
-Get Higher Search Engine Ranking
-Increase Link Popularity
-Implement Effective Social Media Marketing Efforts

This way you can present yourself the way you want to be presented and highlight the products and services that make your business unique. You do want to have people discussing your company in chat rooms, blogs and other forums, but you also want to make sure that your voice is heard and that your web presence is strong.

What is happening on the SEO landscape for the coming year? You may have heard it before, but it bears repeating: if you are in business, you need to increase your visibility. So if you have heard over and over about how important it is to do what you can to optimize your presence on the web, you will hear continue to hear this…only it will become even more crucial that you pay attention and take action.

Online reputation management will be more vital and not less. When we mention “reputation management” what comes to mind? For some it may mean being able to respond to criticism and that is part of it. But online reputation management is also making sure that searches for your company name and for your industry show you in a positive light. Well, first you have to actually show up when people search for you online, that is the first step. If you have no web presence, then you don’t have to worry about your reputation taking any hits…but this means that you do have to worry that you are losing out on the opportunities to reach new customers. When it comes to making sales, there are few people spontaneously crashing the party. Would-be customers need an invite or something to convince them to stop by and look around. Your online “store front” needs to be just as attractive as your brick-and-mortar store front.

Test it out for yourself. When you search online for your company name, what do you see? When you do a search and type in the name of your field, does your company name appear high on the first page? What happens when you do a search for one of your main competitors? Look at how your competition appears in online searches. Do they appear in a very positive light? If so, you should take a cue from them. And when you run a search for your product or industry, do your competitors rank above you?

You want to be at the top of the list on search engines and you want people to read positive things that will draw people to you. And to do this you need a plan. Let Increase Visibility help you come up with a marketing plan that is tailor-made for your business.

We can help you reach your Internet marketing goals this year and for many years to come. Call us today at 877 SEO ADVICE (877 736 2384).

Although there are tons of people on the web at any given time, they are not always there with the same purpose.  If you have a business that has a brick-and-mortar store, you are well aware that everyone who comes into your store does not have the same purpose. You likely set up your store with things that will draw in browsers and serious shoppers alike. Well the same thing happens online. People will stop by your website for different reasons and it is up to you to keep them there and lead them to make a transaction.

Even if you do not have a bricks-and-mortar store, you too have to be aware of the different ways that people use the web—

Information seekers
These are people who are online looking for facts, news and information. They may type a phrase into search engine because they are looking for some very specific information. However, if you sell a product that relates to their query, you may be able to help them and they will visit your site if they think you have valuable and useful information.

Surfers
Web surfers are hanging out and hanging ten as they peruse the web, not looking for anything in particular. When they come across your web site, if it clearly communicates a message that addresses their interests, you can get them to stop surfing and start hanging out at your website.

Navigators
Navigators are on the web with a particular destination in mind. If they know the exact name of the website, they will go right there. But if they do not, they may have to search for it, and if you come up in the list when they search you may be able to get them to your site instead. (Unless of course these navigators were looking for your site in the first place. Then you want to make sure that your site name is firmly placed in their mind so they can type it right in without wandering.)

Increase Visibility can help you snag internet users who are looking for information, surfing around to see what they can find and those who start out with a specific destination in mind. We can analyze who is visiting your site and track you current online marketing campaign so that you can see who is visiting your site and what they are doing while they are there. Take a look at our SEO plans and give us a call at 877 SEO ADVICE (877 736 2384) to disucss which plan will work best for you.

Surely you have heard someone say that they wish they could clone themselves in order to do all that they need to do. In the 21st century, you really do need to be in more than one place at a time and accomplishing this is possible in the virtual world, although it is not possible in the physical world (at least not yet).

Perhaps you have already set down your goals for next year and these goals include ramping up your marketing efforts. Even as you wrote them down, you probably knew in the back of your mind that your goals were lofty. You probably wondered how you were going to get some of this done with all of the other things you have to do. Did you include “get more help” or “delegate certain tasks” as one of your goals? If not, it is not too late to include that in your plans.

The great thing about hiring a firm such as Increase Visibility to assist you with SEO and your efforts to improve organic search placement is that you really can be in several places at once. The real you can take care of the day-to-day tasks that are a part of running your business, while the virtual you can be active in various online communities and showing up in the places where you need to be to reach your current and potential customers.

You can work on your own behalf, even while you are sleeping, taking a well-deserved vacation or chatting with a client by participating in:

-Facebook
-Twitter
-Digg
-StumbleUpon
-LinkedIn
-MySpace
-YouTube

In addition to this, you can also create promotional videos that you can put on your website and promote in the avenues mentioned above.

Although you may want to choose a certain aspect of your online marketing campaign that you want to maintain personally, Increase Visibility is there to help with the rest. We are also here to offer advice on just how to shape your online presence.

Professional search engine placement will help you gain more national and international exposure, generate “hot” leads, and ensure that your marketing campaign is effective and brings the return on investment that you seek.

On Monday we talked about how SEO and organic search placement can be compared to two different decision-making processes: one where a person makes a quick decision using instincts and one where someone takes their time to talk over the advantages and disadvantages of the choices at hand. When it comes to deciding how a website ranks in search results, search engines use a more than a few criteria (in fact Google looks at more than 150!).

Well, although Google uses a sizable number of criteria, it does not take forever to come to its conclusions. This is why you need the assistance of a firm like Increase Visibility, so that your website marketing program has all the correct components in place when Google stops by to check you out. You definitely want to be prepared. Search engines do check often…at first. But if it seems like your site has little new material to offer, they will space out their visits more and more until your website becomes an afterthought and you do not want this to happen.

Many of your customers may also make rather instantaneous decisions. Whether they see you in search engine rankings or see your company name in a list of press releases, they probably will not spend all day deciding which link to click to continue their online journey.

Again, you need to be primed and ready. You need to make certain that the prose they see is crisp and clean. You also need to have already worked on name recognition through your online marketing efforts. We all go for what is familiar–even when we do not realize that it is familiar. Returning customers know you already. However, the newer customers whose attention you want to grab may not be acquainted with you just yet, but if your name has been floating around the web on blogs, directories and social networking sites, they will click on a link leading to you because your name is familiar.

Let Increase Visibility help you make sure that your name is front and center in people’s minds when they think about your industry. One of our SEO marketing plans can put you at the top. With our Bundle 3 Plan, we will help you broaden your customer base with blog commenting, article marketing, video marketing, podcast marketing and social bookmarking—just to name a few of the services that we provide.