Marketing your business online with effective SEO

February 16, 2010 on 10:59 am | In Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing | No Comments
by SEO Houston

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

February 16, 2010 on 10:07 am | In Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing | No Comments
by SEO Houston

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!