Internet Marketing Strategy: Optimize all your online content

When you break down the components of Internet marketing, it all mainly boils down to variations of coding a website in order to meet the requirements of the search engines and the company’s marketing goals.

There are many ways to increase your businesses online presence, however, one of the most trusted ways to leverage the most value from your internet marketing efforts is to make sure you properly optimize your online marketing strategy.

From press releases to blogging to articles and whitepapers, anything that appears online about your company should be optimized, since you never know how someone will first become aware of your products or services.

Videos uploaded to YouTube or Google video can be optimized, the same goes for Podcasts and RSS feeds.

Are you getting the picture?

Since the search engine spiders are always scouring the web for the most relevant content, if your branding content is properly optimized, you have a better chance of not only ranking well for  your industry keywords but you also have a chance of maintaining those rankings for longer periods of time.

Anything that appears online or exists in digital format on the web can be optimized. It only takes a little bit of extra effort, but the payoff is well worth it.

For information on internet marketing strategy and online content optimization to leverage the major search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing as well as increase your online presence in Houston, Texas call (281) 362-9855 or contact the Houston SEO team at Magnetiks Search Marketing today!

Good website copy equals conversions

One of the hardest points to get across to a prospective client when you begin discussing Search Engine Optimization, or Organic SEO is the importance of good website copy. Most online business owners are only aware of the basics, they know they need to get ranked in Google, they know to do this they need to build an online presence, and finally, they know that they need traffic coming to their website.

But website copy? A lot of potential clients simply state that they have already uploaded their content to their website complete with brochure information and possibly technical data and that should work or is working just fine.

Well, statements like that are far from the truth. On the internet, words sell, images don’t and the optimization of website content is a vital online marketing skill that not everyone possesses. The goal is to get the user to take action!

Do’s:

• Use keyword phrases in the anchor text of your links.
• Create an intriguing, eye catching page title. Remember words sell.
• Limit your keyword usage to 2 or 3 keywords per page. Otherwise, you may get tagged for keyword spamming.
• Create supplemental content such as FAQ pages and related articles, etc.
• Use the primary keyword phrase for that page in the first line of the description meta tag.
• Keep an eye on your competition and how well they are ranking for the same keyword phrases.
• Focus on the pages on your website that have the best conversion rates.
• Think like a reporter, asking the five W questions (who, what, when, where, why).
• Consumers look for local vendors, even when shopping online so display your location.
• Optimize all graphics for the web and use image alt tags.

Don’ts:

• Insert keywords into copyrighted material.
• Forget what your audience is searching for.
• Leave the title of your page as "Untitled", “Home”, “Welcome”…you get the idea.
• Use too many graphics.
• Wait to implement website content changes for seasonal sales. You will need up to 6-months when optimizing for seasonal content in order to give the search engines time to adjust to your alterations.

For more information on website content optimization as well as Organic SEO and Internet Marketing strategies in Houston, Texas contact or call the Magnetiks Search Marketing team at (281) 362-9855 today!

Marketing your business online with effective SEO

There is of course more involved in online marketing than the scope of this article but these are a few things you should look at first, because any subsequent internet marketing strategies you use will not be as successful without them in.

• Site optimization

The effectiveness of any marketing you do online is dependent on the optimization of your website being done correctly up front. With that being said, this is always the place to start. This step includes creating compelling content and user-friendly navigation as the basis for everything.

Search engines look at a number of factors when ranking websites such as keyword density, relevant content and how a page matches up to a specific search term. By identifying 10-20 keyword phrases and creating specialized pages with relevant content that utilizes these keyword phrases properly, you will start to realize much better results in your rankings once your website has been indexed.

You will find that it is best to use targeted keyword phrases, for example "Mary Kay lip gloss Houston, Texas" is likely to get you better placement in the search results than a generic term like "lip gloss". You should also work to create a single page for every 3-4 keyword phrases you want to rank for and include these phrases in your title and description tags, the page URL as well as the body of the content. In addition, each webpage should use a different title and description specifically based on the keyword phrases utilized on that page.

Nowadays your website should be developed using XHTML and CSS because table based web designs have numerous technical issues to overcome and, in some instances, can even increase your website’s load time which cause a lot of potential prospects to look elsewhere for whatever it is that brought them to you website to begin with.

Ideally you want to utilize a Web content Management System (Web CMS) which can help streamline the optimization of your website quickly and effortlessly, such as that provided standard with the Magnetik Salesperson online business management software system. This will also allow you to effectively manage your own website content with little or no web design skill.

• Linking and indexing

The next step in effectively promoting your website is to get noticed by the search engines and have them index your site. For example, Google will not even look at your website until it has been linked to by at least one other site that they have indexed. An appropriate tactic at this point can be to use pay-per-click to accelerate this process, however this is not always necessary and can be accomplished through other avenues such as placing an add on craigslist with a link to your website.

In addition, participating in forums serving your target market can be extremely useful at this point as well. This has a dual effect, it creates awareness of your business within the communities you would like to reach as well as help create incoming links to your site. However, be careful not to use a forum to spam members or submit unsolicited advertising posts because it will destroy your company’s credibility.

• Implement online marketing partnerships with high-profile online businesses

Another effective medium for marketing your business online is to provide content of value to websites which serve your target market. Article and press release websites and even guest authoring on various blogs relevant to your target market. With this they benefit from your topical content and you benefit from the exposure and links.

• To pay-per-click advertise or not to pay-per-click advertise

This is the first point that you want to really consider sponsored listing or what is more commonly known as pay-per-click advertisement. Managing this step effectively can take some trial and error to find what works best but you definitely want to exercise restraint because pay-per-click campaigns can become extremely expensive if not properly managed.

If you’re in the need of quality Internet Marketing Strategy and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services in Houston, Texas you’ll want to utilize an experienced Houston SEO company that has a good reputation, like Magnetiks Search Marketing. For information on how we can increase your website’s exposure and bring target business to your doorstep contact us or call (281) 362-9855 today!

Effective strategies for domain name selection

If you're just starting your business you want to make sure you choose your business and domain name with care. If the domain name you are purchasing will be your primary company website, you want to try and find the closest version to your company name

• What is the purpose of the domain name?

If the purpose of the domain is to be a one-page sales promotion you’ll want to think ahead as to how you might promote it. Content is king in today’s internet marketing world. The best promotion strategy for one-page sales promotions is pay-per-click marketing as it increases the chances of your keywords being picked up by the search engines. You will also want to make sure the information on your ads is compelling enough to get someone to click and visit your site as well as ensure that the content they are viewing is relevant to the keyword phrase you have “purchased”.

• Create a list of ideas of solutions you have or problems you're trying to solve.

To give visitors a clear indication of what you do you may want to choose a domain name that indicates what service your company provides, a problem that you can solve, or a solution that you provide.

• It helps to have keywords in your domain name.

Before purchasing your domain name, make a list of keyword phrases that a consumer might use to find your website. This list can include your industry, niche, problems your target market have and solutions that you provide.

• Shorter is better, if it's to be your primary domain.

Your domain can contain up to 67 characters consisting of letters and numbers. Special characters other than hyphens are not recommended. However, when using the domain name as your primary domain, you may want to keep it as short, catchy and memorable as possible.

• Purchase your given name as a domain name.

Branding your given name as a business can take a lot of years, a lot of money and a lot of time. Nevertheless it can still pay off to purchase your name as a domain by redirecting it to you primary website. Therefore when someone types in the domain they land at the website you point your domain to.

• If available buy the .COM version first.

When people hear a domain name, regardless of whether it’s .NET, .BIZ, .ORG or whatever, they are actually “hearing” .COM, so finding a domain name with .COM will pay off in the end. You can also try hyphenated versions of the .COM name if the one without is taken.

• Consider buying other extensions of your primary domain name.

You may want to buy the other extensions of the domain you are registering such as the .NET and .ORG domains then redirect them to you primary website. This will keep them out of your competitor’s hands . However, you will want to exercise a little restraint when purchasing domain names because they can become quite expensive.

Your domain name is the beginning of the establishment of your presence online, so you want to your time and put some thought into the process. For more information on domain name or other Internet Marketing Strategies contact us or call (281) 362-9855 to speak with the Houston SEO specialists at Magnetiks Search Marketing today!

Strategies for Top 10 rankings on Bing

There’s no denying that the launch of Bing.com has definitely improved Microsoft’s position in terms of search market share.

So now the big question remains - “How do I rank higher on Bing.com and drive more qualified traffic to my website?”

While the jury is still out on any definitive strategies there are some growing trends and support for the tactics detailed below:

• Backlinks: While still used in the Bing algorithm, backlinks counts for top 10 sites are lower than on Google possibly suggesting less importance.
• Anchor Text: Get your anchor text right because it appears that Bing focuses more heavily on links with relevant anchor text.
• On-page Optimization: A lot of SEO experts suggest that Bing weighs more heavily towards on-page optimization than off-page optimization. I’m not totally convinced this is true or if it is, will remain the case but if it is keywords, title tags and internal link anchor text will add significant benefits.
• Age & Authority: It appears that Bing places a higher weighting on site/domain age and authority than Google. Again a factor that is surely not sustainable given the importance of social media and blogs in terms of relevant results.

For more information on achieving front page rankings on the major search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing contact the Search Engine Optimization experts of Houston, Texas at (281) 362-9855 today!

How to Analyze a Competitor’s Website

If analyzed properly your competitors' websites can give you all sorts of information that you can use to increase the traffic and the search engine rankings of your site.

Identifying the Leaders

First, start off by identifying your major competitors. A good place to do this is in the Yahoo directory. It is also a good idea to review the websites of major players in similar industries in order to get a better view of your website as it is perceived by others. Be sure to check some of the larger corporations and identify any innovative approaches and new products they may have to offer.

Sites like Quantcast can tell you which companies get the most traffic, and you can get relative traffic stats using Alexa which gives you a rough idea of where your competitors are in the ranking order.

The next step is to research your top 5 or 10 competitors very closely. There is a lot that you can learn by looking at their websites and analyzing them.

These are the things that you should look for:

1. Check out their products or services and note anything that’s different from what you offer.

2. Look for gaps that you could fill.

3. Think about the look, feel and functionality of their websites compared to yours.

4. Check the advertising campaigns and offers they run.

5. Look at their strengths and weaknesses, from the customer’s point of view. 6. See if you can figure out the strategy they are using.

For more information on competitor analysis or local SEO & Internet Marketing call (281) 362-9855 or contact the Houston SEO experts at Magnetiks Search Marketing today!

SEO Tips – Link building: a treasure chest of SEO Gold

If you’re looking for a great SEO tip that will help you attract targeted traffic to your website then you definitely want to invest into an on-going link building in order to increase your website ranking.

What are SEO backlinks?

Backlinks are links that point to your website and originate from other websites. They can be in the form of your complete URL (e.g. http://www.yourdomain.com/link-to-you.html), or a more SEO friendlier method such as an anchor text link (e.g. Search Engine Optimization Houston, Texas).

Backlinks are important but why?

The number of backlinks, or inbound links your website has is factored in to the equation search engines use to assess and rank your website. The more inbound links you have, the greater the reputation your site is considered to possess. This can lead to an increase in your search engine rankings as well as your Google Page Rank.

Ok, now I know why but how do I get other sites to link to mine?

There are any number of different ways to acquire inbound links for your website, a few examples include:

1.    Forums - Most forums provide their users with a signature box, this signature box allows you attach links and/or images to everything you post. You can also place links in your comments. Some forums require you to make a certain number of posts before you can place anchor links or links in general in your signature box and/ or comments. However, Do not spam the forum, you will get kicked off by the administrators.

2.    Article marketing – most article submission sites allow the author to place a link or two in the article body.

3.    Social media - On all social media sites you can put at least 1 url on your profile, Some allow you to put as many as you want. Again don’t over do it or you’ll be seen as a spammer. The content which you produce within social media also has areas where you can put your links.

There are many more ways to get your inbound links including blog posting and commenting, etc.

Tip: Google loves it when you place your links in content that is relevant to the page your link leads to. For example if you are blogging about Local SEO Internet Marketing it would benefit you more if your link was to point to a part of your site which was also about Local SEO Internet Marketing. This isn’t essential but it does help.

Looking for more information on inbound links? Call (281) 362-9855 and ask the SEO Houston experts at Magnetiks Search Marketing.

Using Internet marketing strategies to achieve branding goals

Internet marketing is all about measurable results, not generic branding concepts. With that being said, if you have a branding goal in mind there is an effective Internet marketing strategy you can pursue.

Branding refers to the notion of creating an identity for your product or name brand with consumers. The classic example, of course, is Coca Cola. Being first on the market, they have created such a strong brand name that many people use the word “coke” instead of soda even when they prefer a different brand. In the world of traditional marketing, everyone respects the marketing team that can accomplish this level of branding.

The Internet, however, is a different media and a similar strategy would fail miserably if followed on the Internet.

The Internet is such a large entity that branding can be expensive and difficult unless you are the first major player in a niche. For example, EBay and Amazon were the first major players in their fields and to this day that has given them a huge advantage over competitors that followed after them. Unless you are coming to a field with a lot of money and no current dominant competitors, your branding goal is going to be met with limited success at best.

However, if you plan to stick with your branding goal, the most cost effective and ultimately successful Internet marketing strategy at your disposal is a search engine optimization or organic SEO campaign.

Search engine optimization is simply a dedicated effort to get the pages on your website ranked in the top 10 listings on the major search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing for the keyword phrases your prospects use to find the services or products you provide in your business area.

To meet your branding goal, you first need to identify all the phrases your potential customers use to find the services or products you provide, then create optimized web pages for each of these phrases and get those pages ranked in the search results.

This strategy has two benefits:

•    It will produce free traffic to your site.

•    Your branding goal is met because the site appears in all the top 10 rankings for your selected keyword phrases. This creates both brand recognition and credibility.

For more information on how our Internet marketing strategy can help you meet the branding goals for your Houston, Texas business call Magnetiks Search Marketing today at (281) 362-9855 today!

Keyword Effectiveness Index (KEI)

One of the keys to achieving high placement in the organic search engine results is the Keyword Effectiveness Index (KEI) of the keywords you are trying to rank for. Calculating KEI values provides a system for evaluating the effectiveness of keyword phrases. Keywords and keyword phrases with a high KEI increase the probability of obtaining high rankings.
 
What does all of this mean?
 
Keyword phrases with KEI values above 400 are worth their weight in gold. Phrases with a KEI of 4 isn’t bad but we recommend that sufficient KEI research be done to achieve a list of long- keyword phrases with a KEI value above of 20 or greater..
 
The larger task is one of implementation.
 
After completing KEI research and arming yourself with quality keyword phrases the question with existing sites is how many pages will be edited? At a minimum I recommend the home page and all pages that link from it. If all of the 11 tags and attributes to which Google pays the most attention to need to be edited then this could easily average an hour if not two hours per page. At what point does that become too expensive?
 
Implementing best practice Search Engine Optimization or SEO on a new page or as the website is developed only requires only 20-30 minutes per page. Obviously, it's more cost effective to implement KEI research during the initial site build rather than having to retrofit later, especially if the tags and attributes weren't included with the initial page build.

Magnetiks Search Marketing effectively implements KEI research into the Internet Marketing Strategy of our clients, for more information, contact the SEO experts of Houston, Texas at (281) 362-9855 today!

Simple SEO Tips for Twitter

We have compiled these Twitter SEO tips that will help you to drive more traffic to your website and increase your website’s search engine visibility.

1. Username: one of the most important aspects of Twitter is branding your username. Choose the user name wisely and avoid using numbers and “_” to avoid looking non-web savvy. Also, since people search using keywords, inserting them into your user name is always a good idea.

2. Biography: If you will be using this Twitter account for business, avoid putting too much personal information on your bio page. While your potential customers will want to know a little about your reputation they will be more interested in what do you do than who you are. Make every word count.

3. Website Address: Do not forget to fill in your company’s website URL. People might want to visit your website based on what you tweet about your products and services.

4. Keyword Tweets: Providing well thought out keyword rich tweets is highly recommended. Google and Bing display tweets in their search results and publishing keyword rich tweets will not only boost your rankings but you might even receive some traffic via twitter.

5. Tweet, tweet and re-tweet: Re-tweeting another person’s tweets helps you to create a new relationship. However there is no guarantee that the people whose tweets you re-tweeted will return the favor.

6. Follow others and get others to follow you: Having a targeted group who follow you and a group that you follow helps you to keep in touch with the needs of your target market and up to date on the latest trends in your industry. It will also help you to cultivate a better public image for your company.

For more information on Twitter and Social Media Marketing in Houston, Texas contact Magnetiks Search Marketing or call (281) 362-9855 today!