KISS - Keep it simple stupid. Always works even for SEO.

All the junk people try to cram into a page is enough to wonder if even they know what they are trying to communicate. And in today's information age having more is not so great but having what people are searching for is.  A niche that you can carve out for yourself that helps others find or get what they are looking for.  Nothing more. Nothing less.  

That is why before you even create a site you need to make sure what you have to offer is put into its most simplistic terms to insure that:

1. You receive the right traffic
2. The traffic that arrives is quantified
3. You have something to offer or help

Yes there are many different ways to sell or offer information but one should take a step back and find something that is unique to them whether is be customer service, price or just that you are in the know and you want to give back.

For information on internet marketing strategy and online content optimization to leverage your KISS in Houston, Texas call (281) 362-9855 or contact us at Magnetik Search Marketing today!

Are your visitors Viewers, Readers, or Users?

Do you know the profile of your website visitors? Regular website statistics can provide a lot of information in regard to who is visiting your site. Unfortunately business owners do not have time to give these statistics a proper analysis. This is an essential part of determining exactly who is on your site and how to profit from it. Not knowing can cost you big dollars. It is absolutely critical to have a professional give a true evaluation and determine which way to shift or change the website based on the stats. With all of this taken into consideration it is apparent that hiring a professional web analytics company to gain true perspective on your visitors is a must for any serious business.

Below I have given some insight as to the three categories of web visitors. The dollar signs represent what type of revenue you can expect from each visitor type:

Type 1: The Viewer $ - The viewer type is primarily on the web to be entertained. They like Flash elements, animations, shiny colors, and overall graphic and audio driven sites as appose to text. The viewer type make the fewest online purchases.

Type 2: The Reader $$ - The reader type is more only online to read blogs, articles, forums, and magazine or book like sites. In other words they are using it for free reading material. Reader type visitors do have a higher online purchase rate than the viewer type however, it is unlikely that their purchases will cover your business costs.

Type 3: The User $$$ - The user type should be any business's target market. These users prefer mostly text based, fast loading, direct to the point sites. They want to move through a linear purchase process and find there desired information, product, or service quickly and easily. Any distracting Flash, graphics, unwanted ads, and such will drive this user from your site in an instant and they will never return.

It is possible with traditional web statistics and a professional evaluation of them to develop a primarily user type of visitor profile or audience on your website. For more information call Magnetiks @ (281)362-9855 or visit us at our main site: Magnetiks Search Engine Optimization.

Press Release Submission - Free or Paid — Can it be any harder?

So my task this week was do some research on submitting a press release.  I was thinking

"Cool something that should be fairly easy to decipher." 

I thought writing it was 90% of the battle but I now realize that submitting to the right place is just as important as the writing of it maybe even more important because if you write something fabulous and no one ever sees it then who cares.

So I start my search by finding out who the top press release web sites:

prweb.com
prnewswire.com
prnewsnow.com

Of course all these cost to submit.  So of course being the frugal person that I am I decide to look for free press release distribution.  So I start my search with seochat.com to find out what maybe someone knows that I do not know.  I come across 2 lists of free press release submissions.  I will show part of one list :

http://www.afly.com
http://www.afreego.com
http://www.baygo.com/press
http://www.betanews.com
http://www.bizeurope.com/pressrelease.htm
http://www.worldcasinodirectory.com/press-release.htm
http://www.downloadjunction.com/submit_press_release
http://www.express-press-release.com

After going through these I felt the pressure that should not come from submitting a press release, so I narrowed my search to "Top Press Release Submitters"  and I found this article.

http://www.11amdesign.com/faq/index.php?sid=880316&lang=en&action=artikel&cat=26&id=1212&artlang=en

This list was based on 2 factors by Gary Logsdon on July 21, 2007:

1. Search Engine Friendliness
2. Circulation

This now became my starting point for finding the best free press release web sites.  Just so you know I will quote from Gary what these factors represent.

"Search Engine Friendliness - One important factor of a prevailing press release campaign is to gather backlinks and under anchor text, if possible. Since most press release sites do not allow backlinks, a notation has been made to the ones that do.

Circulation - The second important factor of the press release is getting your message to reach a widespread audience. Since some press release websites are visited by thousands of webmasters everyday, a notation has been made to the ones that do."

So according to the data  prleap.com would be the best choice.  And according to its web site it does tell you that you that more than likely will get your release online even in Google news if you pay the $50 Newswire Distribution fee.  But even you go the free route prleap.com, who have been around since 2003, press releases generally get included for FREE into Google News, Google, Yahoo Search, MSN, MSN Newsbot (UK) Moreover, Ask Jeeves, Teoma, News Now and many other leading sites.

Note: PRweb.com does guarantee your press release into 5 targeted industries and 2 metropolitan areas for $80 including Google and Yahoo news.

Now of course I need to submit and test to find out who does what they say and it goes where they say it goes.  Will let you know the results when they are in.

Well this is what I come up with so far but search continues to find the best places to submit to so if you happen to have a better place then please share and end my madness.

Search Engine Optimization, SEO Best Left to the Experts

When it comes to search engine optimization, SEO, there are a few strategies that you will want to live by. Beginning an SEO campaign is a tricky business on the best of days. The rules are constantly changing and the information you've read about could be several months old. For this reason, if no other, it pays to hire the services of a professional search engine optimization, SEO, organization.

If you are not devoting a full time effort to learning the latest buzz for search engine optimization, chances are that you are behind the score. The search engines are constantly changing algorithms in search for the best way to make sure the visitors find their way to the sites they are looking for. Unfortunately, this is not an exact science.

The fact that things keep changing actually works against small business owners that are trying to establish a presence online for their brick and mortar businesses. The reason is simple. You have a business to run and that business isn't SEO.

Would you go to a lawyer for medical advice? Probably not. Why would you go to a construction worker for search engine optimization advice? If your business is construction, you know construction. Doesn't it make sense to outsource the skills you are not as well versed in to those who are? Outsourcing your search engine optimization, SEO, efforts can save you a great deal of time and effort over the course of establishing your Internet presence.

If you are interested in creating an Internet presence for your offline business or are launching an Internet based business, it pays to hire professional search engine optimization, SEO service providers. Contact Magnetiks today and see how we can help you build a better online presence and rank better with the major search engines today.

Custom Web Sites -vs- Templates

In today’s world of ever growing small business the internet can provide a cost effective method for any company to gain exposure. When you put your business online it is absolutely critical for your website to correctly translate your business model in every aspect. This kind of translation requires a custom web solution including: A proper analysis of your current business methods, services and products offered, and a modern interpretation of your image. Template based web pages are unable to correctly translate desired image onto the web in most cases. Templates are also, for the most part, difficult to expand upon in the future. Companies that offer mass template website packages work based on the volume of sites they sell rather than quality.

Custom sites built by professionals can provide a fully expandable, modern, solution that is a precise fit for your ever changing company needs. A website that works shows you a return on investment (ROI) because visitors can find and use it. A true custom solution requires working with you one on one for the most accurate depiction of your company model which will represent you well. This is essential with a Search Engine Marketing plan in place. Site traffic will increase significantly and it is crucial to have a solid, professional, and true representation of how you do business.

What Can a Professional SEO Consultant do for Your Web Presence?

When doing business online search engine optimization, commonly referred to as SEO is the most vital thing that can be done for your business website. Long gone are the days of “if you build it, they will come.” It doesn't matter how many graphics, videos, or widgets your website contains. Without serious efforts to optimize that site for search engine recognition, very few people will see the results of your hours of labor.

Search engine optimization is literally optimizing your website so that the search engines are more likely to recognize it. You may not want to invest the money needed for a professional SEO campaign and management. It pays though to at least acquire the services of a professional SEO consultant. But, what can he or she offer you? Below is a small sampling of the services you may receive from a professional SEO consultant.

Review the website. This is the first step. If you do not have an existing website he or she can make some suggestions about what you want to include and exclude from your website as well as offering tips and strategies for creating links, keyword recommendations or suggestions, and note where you may want to spend a little money on the programming side of thing to make your website more friendly to the search engine spiders that like to look around your website and its coding.

Suggest changes. This is the second step. He or she will suggest that you make changes in your website, your marketing efforts, and in the content you include on your website. Every piece of your website, no matter how insignificant it seems to you can have serious rewards and/or consequences when it comes to SEO.

Revise. The final step for a professional SEO consultant will be to revise the website (if that is what you wish of your consultant). Making the changes he or she suggested is a great start but your SEO efforts should rarely be limited to the website alone. There are other steps in the process that will need to be made. He or she can let you know what needs to be done but in a consulting capacity will not be the one to actually take those steps.

A professional SEO consultant can make a huge impact on the page rank of your website in various search engines. It pays to use this valuable service if you plan to build a larger Internet presence or really wish to do business online at all. Magnetiks can meet all of your professional SEO consulting needs. Contact them today and see what they can do for your web presence.

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.

5 quick tips for optimizing PPC ads

In today’s economy businesses with tight budgets have to find ways to stretch their advertising dollars. One method of doing this is to refine paid advertising ads to keep them fresh and unique.

One step that a lot of advertisers forget is surveying their competition's ads that are currently running for the keywords they wish to target. You want to know what they’re doing not so you can copy their ads but so you can do something different and one up them by fashioning your ads to stand out.
 
Here are some proven tricks to help your ads stand out from the competition:

1. Add a touch of seasoning to your ads
Many marketers run the same ads year round despite the holidays and changing seasons. You can bring in big returns by taking the time to update your ads to be effective during the holidays or a particular season. Ads that reflect the current holiday theme catch the attention of and better connect with consumers because it speaks to them directly.

2. Include mention of a special deal
Special deals, special rates or special prices are popular with shoppers, especially on items they were going to buy anyway. Mentioning a limited time offer or a special online price will increase the likelihood that a shopper will select your ad above your competitors. Offer free shipping? Then include it in your ads.

3. Break the mold in your ad copy
Questions can help pull shoppers into your ad and grab their attention. Ask a question that addresses a need. You may also want to try another copywriting technique that grabs readers' attention like creating ad copy that is a bit offbeat or bizarre enough to compel the readers to click on the ad to learn more; just be careful, this technique can be easily overdone.

4. Customize the ad with geo-terms whenever possible
Include specific geographical locations in your ads, like names of cities, towns, and neighborhoods. This lets consumers know that you serve their local region.

5. Run multiple ads
It is always surprising to learn how many advertisers create one ad and run it. They don’t realize that the better way is to create multiple ads and let the consumer tell you which is the most effective ad based on performance. Let the data be your guide. You might be surprised which ads converts better.

Try a few of these approaches to give your ads a fresh look they may just increase your profits. For more information on Adwords campaign optimization or to have your Adwords pay per click campaign professional managed. Call Magnetiks Search Marketing, a search engine marketing firm in Houston, Texas for quality Adwords campaign management services at (281) 362-9855 today

How to Decide on Directory for Submission

Thousands of directories are available for submitting your website to but which ones are the best for you? Directory submission can be a cost effective way to build one way links from thematic categories on high quality websites and obtain links from relevant content but you have to keep a few things in mind when looking for directories to submit to.
There are hundreds of directories, and you will have to spend a lot of time when submitting but you will always get the best value for your time and money if you think quality as opposed to quantity. Now you might be wondering what makes a directory a quality directory and how do you decide?

The following are few points which can assist you in determining whether or not a directory can be considered a quality directory.

1. Page rank. While the value of page rank as a factor in website rankings has significantly diminished; a directory with good Page rank of its homepage and some inner pages can be used as an initial indicator.

2. Directory Structure. Directories with structured categories containing a moderate selection of business verticals and geographical regions will create more thematic and relevant links.

3. Domain age. Search engine do give more relevancy to older directories and consider those directories that have trusted. Links from these directories will most likely help your website rankings.

4. Number of pages indexed. If the directory itself cannot be indexed by the search engines for whatever reason, then how is a link from them valuable to you?

5. Traffic. Although they can provide you with a little traffic, Directory submission is primarily used to enhance search engine rankings by providing quality one-way or reciprocal links to your website.

6. Link Longevity. How long will your listing be active? Are they offering a permanent link, an annual or a link for few months?

7. SEO friendly? Any directory you submit to should be SEO friendly, providing a static link; not a dynamic one.  It should also provide a direct link to the landing page you choose using anchor text.

8. Paid Directory. If it is a paid directory then cost must be considered whether it is annual or lifetime.
9. Niche Directories. Niche directories are very good because they provide relevant thematic links. For Example, if your website is related to the home remodeling industry then you would submit to home remodeling niche directories.

Let Magnetiks Search Marketing handle your directory submission as part of an overall SEO Marketing plan that will help grow your business. Call (281) 362-9855 today!

Flash SEO Can Mean Big Business for Your Business

Flash SEO, or Search Engine Optimization is a requirement if you want a website that is attractive or visually pleasing to visitors and yet designed to attract the necessary attention of search engines. It doesn't matter how well designed your website is if you aren't getting the necessary traffic to convert into sales.

Gone are the days of “If you build it; they will come.” Doing business via the Internet places you among some steep competition and the average surfer has little time or patience for sifting through various pages of search engine results. You need the page rank to get their attention and page design to keep it.

Flash SEO is a combination of skills that allows you to have your cake and eat it to. Flash websites are visually appealing on a level that will get the attention of even casual surfers but properly optimized to grab the attention—and subsequent page ranking of the search engines.

There are generally 3 different types of searchers that will find you online.

1. Those who are searching specifically for your business. This means they have heard of you, know who you are, and know what you have to offer. These searchers often turn into sales and profit for your business—provided they can find you on the first one or two pages of the search engine listings.

2. Those who are looking for a product or service that your business offers. If these customers find you they may be enticed to buy from you over other options available online if you present a web page that appeals to them visually, earns their trust, and lets them know what you have to offer them. Again, the success of this hinges upon the ability of potential customers to find you online. The added twist here is that they do not already have your trust or anything to remember you by. You must become either trustworthy or memorable to them in order to earn their business.

3. Those who find you completely by accident. These are the least likely to convert to sales, however, if you have a nicely done Flash website that lets them know what you have to offer, your name or website may be the first they think of when the time comes to to buy the product or service you are offering.

The point of all your SEO efforts, of course, lies in the hopes of creating either immediate or future sales. See what a difference Magnetiks can make for your website design and Flash SEO efforts.