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!

Google’s New Local Listing Ads

Google is currently limited Beta testing local listing ads in San Diego and San Francisco. For these cities, Local Listing Ads are available for businesses with verified free listings in Google Local Business Center under a limited set of categories.

The New Local Listing Ads are designed for small local businesses. They are to be an economical, low maintenance, ad solution with a flat monthly fee. By creating or claiming your business listing on Google Maps, a service we offer, through your Local Business Center your business can be promoted through Local Listing Ads.

Your business information and the descriptive category that you choose are used to create targeted ads that are displayed on Google.com and Google Maps to consumers in your local area when they search for businesses like yours. These ads require no management of ad creative, keywords, bidding or budget management and according to Google, are the easiest way to advertise your business to local customers. When you select a standard category that best describes your business, Google will determine the cost that ensures your ad is seen by the highest number of people looking for businesses similar to yours in your location.

This fee will vary by the business location and category. Google gives you the opportunity to confirm the flat monthly fee and has thus far stated that this fee will not be changed frequently and that you can be notified of changes 30 days in advance via your email and your LBC account messages.

In addition to providing you with full performance reporting on your Local Listing Ads clicks, and driving instructions requests, Google is also planning to offer fee call tracking for your Local Listing ads so you know when and how often your ads make your phone ring.

These calls will have a short announcement stating “this caller brought to you by Google” before the forwarded call is put through.

For more information on Google Maps Local SEO in Houston, Texas as well as how Magnetiks Search Marketing can help you increase the online presence of your business, contact us or call (281) 362-9855 today!

Why are links so important?

Bad company corrupts character. Links are much like referrals in the real world. The better people you hang with the more perceived validation you receive. When you started in business you probably did not know very many people but as you got more clients then people would refer business to you and you knew people you could refer out to. Links work the same way in the virtual world. 

If you get a link (referral) from a valid website like an .edu or .gov then Google does not need to find out if those organizations are legitimate. They are which means you are in there mind. The more valid companies within your sphere of influence will build better validation for search engine spiders. In the real world this takes time and a lot of effort. Expect the same thing in the virtual world but also expect the retun on investment. 

What happens when you go from 2 links to 250,000 overnight? Well you guessed it. The Google flag goes off and they say "You cannot build your business that fast so why would we believe you could do it virtually. This is a great way to get banned. Growing your online business is like growing a regular business. Slow and steady and you WILL win the race.  

The benefits of video testimonials on your website

It is obvious that the referred customer is the best customer. They have a reputable person that they trust sending them to purchase a product or service from a worthy company. The trusted friend has saved them time by doing the research and was satisfied with their purchasing experience. This leads to an easy sale. This concept can be translated to the web via video testimonials.

The fact is that there are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. Understanding these different methods of learning is important to how video testimonials can educate almost every type visitor that comes to your site.

The visual learner retains information that is seen rather than heard or spoken, the auditory learner listens to learn, and the kinesthetic learner connects emotionally with an experience to learn. (For more information on this topic visit http://www.usd.edu/trio/tut/ts/style.html )

Video appears to be the most universal way to communicate with and educate your web site visitors no matter what learning style. Written testimonials are good however, will only capture a small portion of your visitors. The main idea is to turn your visitors into customers. Video testimonials will accomplish this by capturing the attention of a much larger portion of your audience.

Stay tuned to this blog for examples of clients that have used the Magnetiks Video Testimonials Service to turn their website visitors into customers.

Search Engine Friendly Flash???

For myself, Flash is a great tool. I am more the "viewer" catagory of website visitor. I love the intensive graphically enhanced sites that have the wow factor integrated. Cool intros, visually stunning headers with slick motion graphics and so on.The big problem with these Flash elements is that currently there are only a few solid ways to have Flash movies indexed by the search engines. Eveything that would normally be indexable is "locked away" in the Flash movie.

There are a few tricks that are emerging that can help solve this problem. While doing some research on this topic I came across a neat way to incorporate seemingly search engine friendly Flash navigation into any webpage. I hope this is somewhat helpful for those who are Flash advocates and plan to continue using it for web projects. Here are some quick tips from for overall good SEO Flash Design.

Key Factors For SEO Flash Design:
+ Clean design
+ Search Engine Optimization
+ Accessibility for a wide variety of browsers, including screen readers and mobile phones
+ Code validation and standards compliance
+ Correct functionality with IE

Follow the link below on tips for SEO friendly Flash:

CLICK HERE FOR SEO FRIENDLY FLASH TIPS

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!

Google Instant … Yes or No?

Here is what they say are the pros of Google Instant …

1. Faster Searches: Google Instant can save 2-5 seconds per search, by predicting your search and showing results before you finish typing.
2. Smarter Predictions: Even when you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, predictions help guide your search.
3. Instant Results: Results appear right before your eyes.

The problem is that most people usually know what they are looking for and want to type in the whole phrase before searching therefore not effecting long term phrases which is what we focus on to get client results.

For the surfer who cares to let the wave take him or her wherever then this solution is perfect, but to the person who is looking for the deeper answer this will not do.  Therefore my answer is yes and no depending on the answer you are looking for?

For information on search engine marketing in Houston, Texas call (281) 362-9855 or contact us at Magnetik Search Marketing today!

SEO Tool - xenu

One of the tools that I use to quickly find broken links on a web site as well as tell me the titles of the pages. http://home.snafu.de/tilman/xenulink.html

The first thing you do is enter the url of the web site you would like to check. When I first check a site I do not check for external links, I run the report for inner linking. Let me give you an example: I was working on dugoutsports.com. XENU got stuck on url by producing more and more urls like this:

http://dugoutsports.magnetiksimedia.com/products_new.php?amp;action=buy_now&
products_id=21&page=1&products_id=96&action=buy_now&products_id=83

It kept adding the & over and over. So fixed it first. Then I noticed that my .htaccess was working for the linking page. So I fixed it next so the urls went from looking like this:

http://dugoutsports.magnetiksimedia.com/links.php?lPath=1&page=1&page=1&sort=2a

to this: http://www.dugoutsports.com/softball-leagues-l-1.html

Last but not least I noticed that pages the products new page with pagination was causing the spider a lot of issues so I came up with 2 solutions.

• Use the robot.txt file to tell the spiders not to index those pages.
• Change the setting to show only one page with no pagination.

I chose the later. After I ran the next report there were no broken links. Then I decided to check the external links by clicking the checkbox option. It found one broken external link to a pdf. So I uploaded the pdf to the server and referenced it locally.

I hope this too will help someone with their internal and external broken links.

Four Reasons it Pays to Have Professional SEO

If you are doing business online or seeking to create an online presence for your brick and mortar business chances are good that you could benefit from professional SEO (search engine optimization). Without creating a website that is designed to get the attention of the big search engines the likelihood that you will be found through generic web searches is extremely small. This is not a business of “if you build it; they will come.” This is where SEO comes into play and can benefit your business more than you may ever realize. But, why pay professionals instead of trying to do it yourself?

1. Knowledge. There is a wide learning curve that is continuously evolving when it comes to proper search engine optimization. When you hire a professional SEO service you will be getting the knowledge of past and present practices that promise high rankings for your website in search engine results.

2. Time. It takes time to get impressive results for your search engine optimization efforts—even from the results. You have a business to run and it is quite likely that your time would be better spent running your business rather than staying on top of the latest professional SEO tricks and techniques. Save the time you would spend trying to learn and execute a proper SEO campaign and dedicate that time to the part of your business you do best.

3. Experience. There is no substitute for experience when it comes to SEO. Leverage the knowledge of others in the field of SEO and avoid wasting precious time and money on ineffective campaigns that will do little to improve your overall search engine rankings.

4. Quality. Chances are that your initial efforts will lack the polish and quality of a professional SEO company. They have often spent years learning various techniques for getting those important search engine rankings and are constantly learning the latest tools for this constantly changing process.

Whatever reason you choose to seek professional SEO services, it pays to go with a name in the business you can trust.