You’ve likely heard of reciprocal links and other ways to boost traffic using the power of the connections you’ve made and then harnessing the connections that those people have made as well. Sometimes you really can make more friends with honey than with vinegar, and you can make great strides my reaching out to people who have enterprises that are similar or somehow connected to yours.

 Now I want to tell you how some crafters in one area have used cooperation to find a way to boost their businesses this holiday shopping season.

 Last week, I received an e-mail from a member of a crafters’ collective. These crafters not only have their own individual blogs, they also have a collective blog. Each member targeted his or her own blog readers on their individual blogs and sent e-mails to specific friends. They asked their blog readers and friends to leave a comment on the collective blog in order to be entered into a drawing to win a gift box. Each crafter contributed to the gift box. The messages and blog posts that were written by the individual crafters made mention of the members of the collective, their business and what each was contributing to the gift box that someone will win after the drawing.

 True, a naysayer would say that a “No purchase necessary” drawing does not increase sales, but it did increase visibility. If you had only been aware of one of the crafters, you were motivated to visit the collective blog to be entered into the drawing. And although everyone may not have stayed around to explore, some viewers likely did explore. Even if they did make a purchase that same day, the exposure to these retailers will stick with them and they may return later.

 Because they heard about the drawing and the crafters’ collective through a person/blog/website that they are familiar with, a consumer will feel friendlier towards these businesses. I know that I certainly did my part and left a comment on the collective blog because I am as interested in a gift box as anyone else. And I do plan to check out some of the other crafters because now I’ve been introduced to their goods and services.

 Increase Visibility can help you use blogs and other social media marketing tools to expand your customer base.

Laptops and wireless technology freed us from the rooted immobility of desktop computers. Mobile technology has increased our mobility. In the past 20 years, U.S. cell phone use has increased from 34 million to 203 million. The majority of America’s 20- and 30-year-old consumers use cell phones exclusively; they no longer have telephone landlines. Worldwide, more than 2 billion people own cell phones and the number is growing exponentially every year.

The increasing sophistication of mobile technology has greatly expanded the capability of the average cell phone and led to the development of computer-capable smartphones. Apple’s iPhone, the BlackBerry and a growing number of similarly-featured competitors now allow us to tap into the Internet while we’re on the run.  Mobile searches and multimedia search engines for mobile applications tripled in 2007. By 2010, the mobile market is expected to be worth $3.8 billion, tripling to $12 billion by 2012. In the near future, search engine optimization (SEO) efforts will focus on tapping into the vast marketing potential of this quickly emerging consumer market. SEO for the mobile web is the wave of the future.

Today’s challenge is to create industry-wide standards and technology platforms that will allow for the consistent and universal application of SEO techniques to mobile technology. As an industry, we’re finding that the application of current Internet-based SEO techniques to the specific requirements of mobile technology and the mobile web require a little tweaking. To become an effective marketing tool, mobile search optimization will need to provide the same consistent and measurable results achievable by Internet SEO programs. The day is soon coming, however, when mobile search optimization will join traditional Internet SEO and social media marketing as part of a comprehensive Internet marketing program.

Keep watching this space. As a leader in the SEO industry, Increase Visibility will let you know when all the kinks have been worked out and mobile search optimization is ready to roll.

But what about Cyber Monday? Did you also come up with a plan for today? It is okay if you didn’t because you still have time to make sure your website can be found and utilized by consumers during this year’s holiday shopping season. In fact, although Cyber Monday is heralded as the day that the online shopping frenzy will start, it is by no means the peak of the online holiday shopping season. That comes later. In mid-December people who have yet to buy gifts and need something fast, will be likely to turn to their computers.

If you didn’t know, Cyber Monday (or Black Monday) is thought to be the start of the online holiday shopping season. After spending the weekend hitting the malls or relaxing with family and friends, consumers are ready to grab a mouse and do some shopping online.

One retail strategist found that 77 percent of people surveyed shopped online because they wanted to save time. Another 81 percent said they liked shopping online because it allowed them to shop at their convenience–at the hour of their choosing.

Think about it: in some parts of the country, temperatures are dropping and people who already want to avoid crowds will not want to venture out to stores. So you should do all you can to make it easy for them to find you.

-Check to make sure that you are listed in pertinent online directories.

-Be sure that information about any bargains, sales or promotions you are running is displayed prominently on your homepage.

-Write a holiday-themed press release that can be released online so that consumers can see you as a source for holiday shopping.

-Make sure your shipping policy is clear and assure consumers that their packages will arrive on time.

And if you find that you are too busy with regular orders, special holiday orders and your own holiday shopping, remember that the elves at Increase Visibility are more than willing to help you with search engine optimization. Many establishments hire extra help to staff their physical stores at holiday time; don’t forget to mind your online storefront as well.

So what does this have to do with search engine optimization? Websites are a business marketing tool. Their purpose is to draw Internet traffic and, thereby, potential customers to your business, with the ultimate goal being increased sales. A difficult economy increases competition for every consumer dollar. A website that isn’t attracting sufficient traffic isn’t bringing potential customers and their all-important dollars to your door. A website that isn’t increasing sales isn’t working for you. It puts you at a competitive disadvantage that could turn out to be disastrous to your business.

Search engine optimization can give your business the competitive edge necessary to succeed in today’s challenging economic climate by turning your website into a powerful marketing tool. A professionally-optimized website will drive a greater volume of traffic to your website that is specifically targeted to be interested in your products or services. Because targeted traffic has been proven to result in greater sales volume, this gives you a distinct marketing advantage over your competition.

There is a caveat, however. There are a lot of so-called SEO companies out there right now claiming to provide amazing results in short periods of time. Jumping on the SEO bandwagon, these johnny-come-latelies employ tactics that show noticeable but extremely short-term results. You may see a one-time increase in statistics, but they’ll disappear not long after your check gets cashed. Optimizing a website to produce consistent, high-level results takes expert technique, proven experience and a little bit of time. If you want to optimize your website to position yourself ahead of the competition, talk to the SEO experts at Increase Visibility today.

 
Sometimes other people can make things seem easy and we don’t see all the work that goes on behind the scenes. Anyone who claims to be a “natural” at Organic Search Engine Placement probably has some help. And there is nothing wrong with getting some assistance.

 
You need to run your business and you probably do not have time to continuously monitor your website’s traffic and statistics. At the same time, you know you need to improve your web traffic to bring in more of the business that you spend so much time managing.

 
This is where Increase Visibility can help. We offer comprehensive SEO plans. Not only do we provide services to help you get more business; we take the time to monitor your existing web traffic to get information on your customers’ viewing habits.

 
Some SEO firms promise yo get you lots of visitors and tell you that they will promote your site in the right places without taking the time to get to know something about you, your business and your customers.
When you let Increase Visibility analyze your  online marketing, we can help you target your efforts effectively. We look at:

 
-Page views (by hour, day, week, month, quarter, and year)
-Unique visitors (In other words, are your page views coming from the same people or from many different people? Who are your repeat customers?)
-The pages that get the most hits
-How internet users find you (Which search engine leads the most people to your site? Are people visiting you after seeing your company mentioned on someone else’s website?)
-What time of day brings the most hits?

 
Answering questions like these can make the difference between a successful and a so-so internet marketing campaign. When you know something about who is visiting, why they are visiting and when they are visiting your site, you can craft a plan to keep existing visitors coming back and find ways to bring even more people to your website. Request a free website analysis from Increase Visibility to get started.

Titled The ROI of Online Press Releases, the Clemson University study revealed increased use of hyperlinks and keywords to enhance search engine optimization in online news releases. “Of course marketers also want to announce news, but increasingly they use news releases for SEO, driving click-throughs to their websites and to reach customers directly,” said study leader Mihaela Vorvoreanu, an assistant professor of communications studies at Clemson.

Search engine optimization techniques that have been effective on websites are now being applied to the formation of online press releases. Placing keywords in the tags, headline and first paragraph of a press release encourages Internet search engines to “crawl” news documents, indexing their content for response to user search queries. When optimized for search engines, press releases can:

> increase your search engine ranking when users search for information on the Internet, placing your business closer to the top of the results list

> increase the number of website visitors who provide their email address and contact information

> increase the number of consumers who complete online forms

> increase the generation of qualified leads

As part of an effective comprehensive SEO marketing program, search engine optimized press releases help create valuable link popularity, including important inbound non-reciprocated links. While reciprocal links are valuable in improving page ranking, search engines penalize bad linking choices with poor ranking placement. For this reason, creating inbound non-reciprocal links must be part of any effective SEO linking strategy. Search engines view non-reciprocal links as unsolicited, and therefore more valuable, endorsements from other highly ranked sites. Placing an optimized press release with an Internet newswire service that contains links back to a business’ website accomplishes this goal.

With more than 15 years of experience writing high-quality press releases, the PR specialists at Increase Visibility are well experienced in creating dynamic search engine optimized news releases. Visit our website to find out about the three SEO-enhancing press release programs offered by Increase Visibility.

 
Although Pay Per Click Advertising is now a staple of internet marketing and SEO plans, it is only about ten years old. This kind of target marketing allows you to draw in consumers who demonstrate tangible interest in your products and services.

 
Here is one example of how Pay Per Click advertising could work:

 
-An internet user types in a search term,  let’s say someone types in “football jerseys.”
Then when they get their search results, they also see sponsored links or sponsored ads on that same page. Since the user typed in “football jerseys,” the sponsored ads of links they see will likely relate to the sport of football, to jerseys for various sports, and to actual football jerseys.

 
-(The people selling footballs may hope to attract this person’s attention since they are interested in jerseys for that sport. And the people who sell hockey jerseys may be hoping that internet users who want football jerseys are fans of hockey too.)

 
-Since you sell football jerseys, and have opted to use Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, your ad is one of the internet user’s options.

 
-When that person clicks on your ad, you will have to pay the PPC provider a fee.

 
This type of advertising is certainly not one-size-fits-all and is priced accordingly. More popular search terms on cost more and the providers who can guarantee the most visitors can charge more.

 
Although Pay Per Click Advertising can boost your web traffic rather quickly (sometimes even in a little as a few days), Increase Visibility recommends sticking with it for a few months if you don’t see results right way. So if for some reason you don’t see the spike you were hoping for in the first few days, do not give up.
And as always, we work with you to get you to where you really want to be. So if after a few months, you do not feel that Pay Per Click Advertising has been a real benefit to your business we are more than happy to re-evaluate the program with you.

Raised on instant messaging and fast-paced video games, America’s young consumers are tech-savvy and tech-driven. Connecting with people who spend a significant portion of their day on computers and cell phones and look to the Internet for all their information has required marketing firms to develop new strategies to catch the attention of these consumers. Social networking is revolutionizing U.S. marketing. Product manufacturers and service providers who want to reach the lucrative young consumer market are adding Facebook, Twitter, My Space, You Tube and podcasts to their marketing arsenals.

Midwest restaurant chain Bob Evans is one long-established firm that is attempting to bridge the digital divide between its traditional family/senior customer base and young consumers who comprise the fastest growing segment of potential new customers. Consumers in their teens, 20s and 30s eat out more often and more regularly than any other consumer demographic. In an effort to attract their business, Bob Evans has teamed up with a students from nearby Ohio University to create a social networking campaign aimed at attracting young diners.

“Students are really into social media right now and are more actively learning new applications as quickly as they come out,” said Bob Evans Farms spokeswoman Chelsea Hamilton. “We’re challenged every day with keeping the brand relevant. And one way to do that is to understand how the younger generation receives messages,” Hamilton said in explaining the decision to partner with collegiates. In return for resume experience, the students will create Facebook and Twitter pages for the heartland restaurateur.  

The trend to social networking as a marketing tool is growing. According to a survey by Shop.org, a unit of the National Retail Federation, 25% of U.S. retailers plan to create Facebook pages to boost holiday sales. Of those, 43% plan to add product videos and 33% will post customer reviews. Instant connection and interaction with consumers are among the unique advantages of social networking. “It’s about getting that raw feedback, an out-of-the-box site, and learning how to launch our business into that next step,” said Stephanie Busack, a digital marketing manager for Bob Evans.

Increase Visibility’s Gold and Platinum level SEO marketing plans both offer podcast and video marketing services to help you increase your social marketing presence. And all three of our SEO marketing plans provide important social bookmarking services to help drive traffic to your website. Talk with one of our search engine optimization specialists today about how you can maximize your connection to lucrative young consumers.

It is probably the same with you and your web marketing budget. And when we say budget we are not just talking about money; we are also talking about time. You do not have the time or the money to scrap everything and start from scratch and this is not advisable. See what you can do with what you already have and build on that.

One of the social media marketing services that Increase Visibility  includes in its SEO Optimization Plans is Article Marketing. If you have any articles that you have written about your company, products or services, we will submit those to top article marketing sites, blogs and social bookmarking sites. This is making good use of resources that you already have.

Another way to get the most out of the work you have already done, is to add hyperlinks that will take internet users back to articles, press releases, and text that are already included on your site. When you write something new, it probably has some relation to something you have discussed in the past, use anchor text to let people know that you have already provided information on a related topic.

Doing this creates balance in your website and ensures that no sections or pages go untouched. While there are some people who will naturally meander to other parts of your site, others will need some encouragement. When they see all that you have to offer, they are more likely to get on board and purchase your products and use your services.

This also positions you as an expert because it shows that you have been discussing certain topics that relate to your industry for a while.

Don’t forget to use this tactic when something related to your industry is front and center in the news, too. People need to know that you can help them with the issue of the day or that you sell just the thing that everyone wants this very minute.

There are a lot of things that can impede crawlability. One of the important functions of search engine optimization is to maximize the crawlability of your website. An experienced search engine optimization team knows the tricks to ferreting out the content and technical errors that interfere with search engine spiders and bots. Linking errors can be a major impediment to search engine optimization. Last week we talked about some of the linking errors that negatively impact crawlability. Today we want to share some tips that will improve your website’s crawlability.

> Use search engine friendly CSS code when creating navigation elements on your website. CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets, is a HTML feature that defines how design elements like headers and links appear on a web page. By ensuring design and linking uniformity, CSS provides better control over how pages are displayed and links are formatted, improving crawlability. CSS creates a more universally searchable site than Flash, JavaScript or Ajax while offering nearly the same dynamic functionality. 

> Use text links to create alternative navigation paths in the footer or breadcrumb navigation. Adding linking opportunities to non-content page elements increases spidering options, improving crawlability. Including a sidebar list of clickable links to your website’s main category and sub-category pages, as well as footer links to important pages, produces additional opportunities for spiders to crawl your site. 

> Add specialized text link pages to your HTML site map. Each text link page can list 100 or fewer text links to important pages on your site. You can create more than one site map page; the key is that each contain less than 100 links. Spiders regularly crawl HTML site maps. By providing links to interior pages within the HTML site map, you increase the opportunity for spiders to discover and crawl those pages. Spiders that miss or have trouble navigating to interior pages via content or other site links will nearly always be able to follow links through your HTML site map.

> Create a XML site map list of all the URLs from your website that you want search engines to crawl. Again, you want to give the search engine spiders as much help and direction as possible. Providing a list of important URLs to supplement information the spiders find on their own is one more way of maximizing the crawlability of your website.