The move to digital communications is changing the way we think and do business (see our Dec. 19 & 23 posts). Tech-savvy young people raised in a world of computers, electronic gaming and cell phones spend most of their time in the virtual universe. They use texting and instant messages to connect with friends. Facebook has replaced face time as a way to share thoughts and life events with friends and family. These so called digital natives eschew the brick and mortar stores of their parents’ generation to shop almost exclusively online. They don’t read the newspaper, go to the library or buy books and magazines. Everything they need they find online, from directions to the concert to a recipe for vegetarian chili to where to buy the hot pair of shoes they saw on their favorite cable show last night. The next generation’s reliance on all things digital is already impacting the marketplace; and, with more digital natives entering the workforce every year, is beginning to change the way America does business.

Websites have already become an essential — and increasingly primary — element in business marketing strategies. Repeated studies have found that even people who eventually purchase from a brick-and-mortar store begin their search for products and services online. Savvy businessmen have already jumped on the You Tube bandwagon, posting humorous videos and sponsoring mini film contests to connect with techno-driven young consumers. Businesses have started using Facebook to get their message to the next big group of paying customers. Social marketing is adding a more immediate, more personal and more casual emphasis to Internet marketing.

The Internet information highway is becoming so littered with new technology and new choices that it can be hard for consumers to even find your business. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) focuses attention on your business and makes it visible to potential customers. As our reliance on digital technology increases, new platforms will allow greater interconnectedness. Blackberries and iPhones, which already allow a certain amount of integration, are just the beginning. Businesses that pursue and maintain aggressive SEO programs now best position themselves to take advantage of future technological advances and increase their visibility in the digital world.

Increase visibility offers search engine optimization plans to fit every need and budget. Contact our SEO experts to find out how we can position your company to compete in the digital world — now and in the future.

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 Level III Platinum 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.

“Black Friday” looms large for retailers and its effects are felt across America’s entire economic landscape. High sales volume on the day after Thanksgiving can put a business “in the black” and ensure a healthy bottom line for the year. Poor sales mean a ledger spotted with “red ink” and can spell “doom” for retailers. The effects of Black Friday filter down through suppliers, manufacturers, transportation providers, service industries, and, in fact, every corner of the American economy. As the current economic crisis has made clear, we live in an inter-connected economy. What happens in one industry affects the outcome of many others. Even if you’re not in the retail business, what happens today in America’s stores will impact your business. The fear that U.S. consumers worried about the economy will hang onto their cash instead of spending it today has everyone from the owners of small neighborhood stores to the nation’s top economic experts worried.

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.

When you watch some of those home makeover shows, you’ll see that most have a budget. There are a few shows that give a designer free reign and an unlimited budget, but more often than not, the designers end up using some of what is already there as they work their magic.

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.

We are all trying to maximize our time and dollars, but there are instances where we need to consult experts and take our time to do things the right way. When it comes to SEO, Organic Search Placement, and driving more customers to your website, don’t fall prey to any “get ranked quick” schemes.

There are a number of search engine optimization firms that are promising a lot and delivering very little. And even what they do deliver can end up costing their customers more in the long run.

Jim Lisi, President of Increase Visibility states, “Website owners put their website at risk by unknowingly implementing link schemes and other unethical practices offered by the growing number of SEO companies that utilize ‘black hat’ practices and scams.”

Some firms claim that they can get you to the #1 spot in Google search rankings and they say that they can make this all happen very quickly for little money. What you don’t realize is that their main concern is getting your money before you realize that they do not have the expertise to really help you.

Increase Visibility knows how to help clients attract website visitors the right way, and became concerned after hearing a number of cases where people were scammed by less than scrupulous SEO firms. Through research, Increase Visibility has discovered a number of scams used by illegitimate SEO companies. 

Stay away if an SEO firm:

-Has an illegitimate or unprofessional looking website
-Offers to submit your website to a large number of search engines or directories for a small fee
-Promises you a #1 ranking for very long search term
-E-mails you promising that they can get you a #1 ranking on Google

In contrast to the scam artists out there, Increase Visibility really wants to help you grow your business using proven, ethical strategies. We do more than send out e-mail blasts; we work with you to tailor an SEO Optimization Plan to suit your needs and your business.

Increase Visibility has been rewarded with a #1 or #2 ranking for organic optimization during August - October 2008 by the prestigious TopSEO’s.com, an independent authority on search engine marketing services companies. TopSEO’s.com did not look at ranking alone; they also survey a firm’s customers to get first-hand accounts of that firm’s commitment to service.

Considering what they have achieved for themselves, you know that Increased Visibility (legitimate) business.  The unethical methods of other firms may seem to work on paper, but they will not bring you more customers.

The reverberations of Wall Street’s ignominious crash have everyone looking over their shoulder to see if the sky is still falling. While we’re probably still in for a few more thunder storms and lightening crashes, there appear to be a few glimmers of light peeking around the edge of the storm clouds. In order to weather the recessive economy, experts say businesses will need to maximize cash flow, hold the line on expenses and make every dollar count until the sun shines through again. A recent study shows that search engine optimized (SEO) Internet advertising could make the difference between weathering the storm and drowning.

In synch with the declining economy, total advertising expenditures fell through the first half of 2008, according to a recent study by TNS Media Intelligence. Interestingly, the study found that Internet display advertising was the only media to show substantial gains, jumping 8% in the first six months of 2008. Newspaper, magazine and television advertising continued to decline, and only small gains were realized by cable and syndicated television. The best return on advertising dollars came from targeted, search engine optimized Internet display ads.

While some argue that advertisers are “just following the eyeballs,” savvy marketers recognize that search engine optimized Internet advertising offers more than just a wider audience. Targeting and measurability provide the one-two punch that allows Internet advertising to beat out other media competition.

• Targeting. A well-crafted SEO program allows businesses to specifically target their most likely potential customers. Unlike traditional media which must be aimed at a more general audience, targeted SEO marketing doesn’t waste advertising dollars on disinterested consumers. SEO makes certain that you reach your probable customer market each and every time, maximizing your advertising investment.
• Measurability. Advertising on the Internet allows businesses to effectively measure the Return on Investment (ROI) of every advertising dollar. SEO programs can even measure the ROI of specific words and phrases, allowing businesses to maximize profitability in creating and targeting ads.

Search engine optimization is the key to a successful Internet advertising campaign. Maximizing your advertising dollar is just one advantage of a comprehensive SEO plan. Using search engine optimization to integrate and link your website, advertising program, newsletter, press releases and all your Internet peripherals is a proven way to expand the scope of your marketing budget and increase sales. Businesses that use SEO to target advertising expenditures and measure and analyze results will weather the current economic storm and prosper. Those who don’t? Well, let’s just hope they know how to swim!

There are a variety of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies you can use to drive traffic to your website. Today we continue our October 14 post on the best SEO techniques for building site traffic:

• Page design. Sure your site needs to be attractive and easy to navigate, but we’re not talking cosmetics here. Site pages need to be SEO friendly to encourage search engine spidering and indexing. You should be able to reach all interior pages from your homepage with no page being more than three clicks away. To encourage spidering and indexing, keep an up-to-date site map of all major pages and optimize meta tags, including title (65 characters), description (160 characters) and keywords. You’ll get more hits if you keyword match your title and URL, use targeted keywords in the title and description and add a major keyword to your domain name.
• Focus on Google. While you don’t want to neglect Yahoo! or MSN, Google is the undisputed king of the search engines. Google will drive more traffic to your site than any other search engine so focus your SEO efforts on Google. Use Google’s Webmaster Tools and Analytics to polish your site and check Google Alerts to keep up with keyword and link-building tips. 
• Link building. Link building is a powerful way to build site traffic. Just remember that’s it’s a two-way street. What you link to will reflect upon your site so make sure you only link to high quality, highly ranked sites that have a high degree of relevancy to your own site. Ideally, anchor text (the words in the underlined/clickable link) should reiterate your keywords, as should linked titles and content.
• Article marketing. Submitting informative articles to article distribution sites is an effective way to lure traffic to your site and create important backlinks. Articles can be short (500-700 words) or longer (800-1,000 words) and should expand on or relate to content found on your site. You can’t just chop out a section of your site content and submit to an article site. A certain amount of unique content is required. Also, while it’s important to keep in mind the marketing purpose of articles – to bring in customers and sell products or services — they should not be blatant advertisements.
• Create traffic hubs. Organizing your site around several well-defined traffic hubs can augment search engine spidering and indexing. By dividing your site into sections, or hubs, that each focus on a different major topic, you can create multiple groups of keyword-rich pages by further dividing the topic into more specific subgroups, thus increasing search engine indexing opportunities.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is that marvelous, mysterious mechanism that drives Internet users to your site when they pose a question on Google, Yahoo, MSN or any of the popular search engines. They may be looking for answers to a question or for information about a service or specific product. SEO is what makes certain their search leads to your website. 

SEO uses a variety of techniques and tools to insure that when someone powers up their computer and types a keyword or question into the search box, your website will appear at the top of the list of sites pulled up. Is that important? You betcha! Studies show that most people only access sites on the first page displayed. Few ever look at the second page. And the probability that someone will view your site decreases the farther back you appear. If your site doesn’t show up until page 3 or 4 or 10, no one is ever going to see it. That’s why SEO is so important. You probably spent a bundle designing a great website, but it’s money down the drain if no one visits. SEO makes certain your website pops up at the top of the search list which, in turn, drives traffic to your site – and traffic = sales.

Here are some of the best SEO strategies for building site traffic:

• Quality content. Search engines are designed to provide unique, relevant, specific responses to each query. The more relevant and targeted your content, the more likely it is to be selected by search engine spiders and bots. If your content is also informative, interesting and engaging, site visitors are more likely to bookmark your site and return of their own accord.
• Keywords. Keywords are the golden keys that unlock the power of the Internet. SEO determines which words users most employ when searching for what you have to offer. Keyword density builds site recognition. Target the most productive keywords and use them in your domain URL and home page. Design interior pages around targeted keywords and build backlinks to these pages as well as to your home page and URL. Don’t concentrate solely on the most used keywords as these will also be the ones your competitors have targeted. Create a secondary focus on specific medium- to low-competition keywords to give yourself a search engine edge.

Coming Friday: More Site Building SEO Strategies

As you may already know, it takes a good amount of effort to get the kind of SEO that keeps your blog at the top of the heap and in front of more and more customers. We’ve already discussed how you can use relevant reciprocal links to your advantage. But while these links can help you with SEO, they are connected to content on other websites that complement yours. It is good to connect with others, it is also crucial to examine the content on your own site as well. Increase Visibility can analyze your website and its content to give you an in-depth look at how you can really be seen in online searches.

What can you do with the content on your own website to maximize its usefulness? Well, one thing you can do it make sure it is fresh. Google and other search engines feed on fresh content. Since search engines are created by people, they operate in some of the same ways that we do. You don’t want stale crackers, moldy peaches, or rotten meat, do you? Well, neither does a search engine. For a search engine, a static website is a stale website. Without fresh content, a search engine may pass you over in favor of something newer.

But you may be thinking: the basic info about my business stays pretty much the same. Or, you may think you don’t have time to continuously re-write the pages you already have. One way you can keep things fresh is by using Twitter.

If you have not heard of Twitter, it is a micro-blogging application that lets you give very brief updates and allows interested parties to follow your micro-blogs or “tweets.” Each update is limited to 140 characters, so you cannot get carried away, but you can give a bit of info to clients and stay on the search engines’ radar.

This election season, several news outlets used Twitter during the debates to give minute-by-minute analysis of the proceedings. And lots of people who didn’t want to wait until the end for commentary kept up with these tweets. Or they read the Twitter commentary later to get a sense of how the media saw the debates.

Even if your website pages have updated content, Twitter is a great way to boost your ranking even further. You can have an employee give Twitter updates during an industry convention or important industry function. Both your clients and the search engines will welcome being kept up to date and in the loop.

Twitter is just one way to get better SEO and Increase Visibility can work with you to let you know if it is an effect method for you. And of course Twitter itself has been tweaked a little lately, so come back on Wednesday to learn more about Twitter and SEO.