Mar 19
Nov 05
Title Tags – What They are, What They ARE NOT and How to Optimize Them, by Mark Bove’
Your website No Comments »Did you ever get to the end of your day feeling like your reality was being challenged and you just needed to go home and blog? Yes, well let’s have at it….
Title tags are the tags that you will find on the top of the web browser. These words are what the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing use to determine what exactly the web page is about. Title tags are written in your website’s HTML code and looks like this:
<head>
<title>Title of Your Web page Here</title>
<meta name=”description” content=”Brief description of the contents of the page”>
<meta name=”keywords” content=”keyword phrases that describe your web page”>
</head>
There are many advantages to properly optimizing your title tags but before diving into that let’s dispel an ugly myth about title tags; Title tags really don’t do all that much for your web pages. If this is true then there is no point in optimizing the title tags because it simply won’t matter. So is this true or is it a myth?
First of all the title tag’s main function is much the same as a title on a book. For example, if you were to walk into a library looking for a book on classic cars and you search all of the book titles in that particular section what are you going to pick out? Chances are you are going to pick the one that has a title as close in relevance to what it is you are looking for, like Fast Classic Cars, or Classic Cars and More. Now there may be several other books in the library that have far more information about classic cars than these two but if the titles don’t convey that then more than likely you will never see the content. Well the search engines act the same way with websites as you do with books. The first thing they look at to determine what a website is all about is the title or in this case the title tags. There is no doubt that proper optimization will improve your websites ranking on the major search engines. So how so you go about optimizing title tags?
When used correctly the title tag is indeed the most important tag on you website. When search engines look at search relevance to a web page, most will consider the title tag as a main parameter and will display that title tag in the search engine results page (SERP). This means that the title tag has to be constructed in such a way as to appease the search engines and also be enticing enough to make Joe Web surfer want to click on your link. Much like the content of your website, you need to consider the reader first and the search engine second.
Here are some key tips on how to properly optimize your title tags:
1. Put your keywords in the title tag: This maneuver will increase the relevance of your website and that particular webpage when someone conducts a search using any of those keywords.
2. Make the title tag readable and keep it short: Big search engines like Google don’t like long title tags. Because they will be displayed in most search engines results pages (SERPS) it is also important to make sure that they are very informative.
3. Different pages call for different title tags: Always use different title tags for each page on your website. Be sure that the title tag is relevant to the specific web page it is being associated with and never keep any title tags empty.
When it comes to the search engines you have to construct your website the way they want or they will simply ignore it. Using title tags is a key component in getting the search engines to take notice of your website. When a search is conducted online the search engines use a specific algorithm to decide where to send the person performing the inquiry and the title tag is a big part of that equation. Using title tags are not something that should be done, but rather something that have to be done in order for sure online success.
References
best practices for title tags
http://www.seobook.com/search-readiness-report.pdf
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/best-practices-for-title-tags
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/and-the-perfect-title-tag-is
Oct 28
Ensuring a New Brand of Potential Customers Finds Your Website
Your website, internet marketing No Comments »No matter what type of business you have your success relies heavily on people being able to find you online. One of the most undervalued, but effective ways to accomplish this task is with the power of the local search. Today there are many sites that have evolved to allow potential customers in your area to find your local business including Topix, Superpages, Yelp, and many more. Many of these sites are no longer just for listing a business name and address and many of them have maps and interactive features that allow for users to generate the content, also known as user generated content or UGC for short. This content includes reviews and comments about the local listings.
These types of online sites have seen a surge in growth over the past few years and the old faithful Yellow Pages is either flat or actually losing ground. Yes online local searching is fast catching up to the traditional methods. This makes sense as all the Yellow Pages can offer you are a name, a phone number, and an address. The online local search sites however can provide you with an entire wealth of knowledge including how good the local business is and what you can expect if you deal with them. These reviews are not written by pros, but by actual past customers.
So why are local businesses so excited about this? The fact is that when people conduct this type of search online they are very close to making a buying decision. They are not just simply doing a broad search but in fact are going to be conducting a very specific search as they have already more than likely conducted all of their research beforehand.
Getting your local business involved really couldn’t be much easier. Most of the local search sites are free to use but will charge you up to $25 to upgrade your local business lisitng. If you are the only business of your kind in your community you can probably get by with just the most basic listing. However if you are like most local businesses, you have plenty of competition and it is probably in your best interest to pay the extra money if you can to allow your local business to be set apart from the rest.
Be sure that you visit the sites on a regular basis and see what people are saying about your local business. If you do get a complaint try to address it as such. Remember that word of mouth far outweighs even the most costly advertisement and there is no bigger word of mouth than the one that belongs to the online community.
Another plus associated with many of the local search sites is that people can now access them right from their mobile phones. This technology allows a consumer to enter their zip code and the product they are interested in and they are then sent a photo of the item, a brief description, prices, store locations that carry the item with directions, and a store phone number. If that doesn’t get your local business blood pumping there probably isn’t anything that will.
Now many of you that have had a website for some time now have probably been bombarded with e-mail solicitations from different online search companies promising you the world. Naturally you are probably a bit skeptical and with some of the fly by night companies that are emerging you have good reason to be. What you can do though is stick with the bigger names and work your way forward from there.
The only drawback that lies with the local search sites is that there is no “standard†way to do the listing and you really need to get creative in order to stand out. This may be time consuming but you will see that it is definitely worth it in the long run.
Here are some things to remember as you begin your local search site adventures:
- Ride the wave of others: Do a local search in your area for a business that is similar to yours. The ones that are always coming up first are the ones you should be looking at in terms of content. Now you certainly don’t want to copy them word for word, but you do definitely want to get some ideas from them.
- Make sure your info is accurate: Many of the local search sites will derive their information about your local business from places like Amacai, InfoUSA, and Axiom. It pays to first visit these sites and be sure that all of your information is correct.
- Geo-Target for best results: Be sure that you optimize your website pages accordingly. Your keyword listings should always include the location of your local business. You will also want to include your address on your website for the search engine spiders to find.
Local search sites are not only here to stay, but will more than likely continue to see the amazing growth that they have enjoyed in recent years going forward. If you are a local business owner you will want to take full advantage.
Sep 09
Webmaster Guildlines…how not to get blocked by Google
Your website, internet marketing No Comments »I was asked today in a email as what is the best way to not get blocked by Google. Here are a few things to avoid summed up by Google.
1. Design your pages for your primary user not search engines.
2. Avoid deceptive or manipulative tricks intended to improve search engine rankings
3. Stay away from link farms and other link schemes!
4. Do not submit your sites information using automated “submission” programs over and over to Google…submit manually…only once is needed
5. go here for the complete story right from the horses mouth:
http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35769#3
Oct 08
Increasing traffic to websites recently became easier with the entrance of video submission sites such as YouTube.com. Advertising has changed in recent years, making it challenging to keep up with. Businesses benefit the most from video submission. Similar to article submission sites, at least for business marketing, video submission sites contain vast libraries of videos about many subjects. Joining one is typically free.
You must be getting excited. You wanted to use video advertising, but your budget has no room for the hefty price required by television stations and networks. Finding out you can often submit your marketing videos for free opens up a whole new world for your business.
When you get ready to submit, you have several options to consider. Some marketing experts suggest manual submission rather than the automated processes offered by some professional distribution service companies. In a nutshell, that means you may get a better response if you submit the videos yourself. Just make sure to categorize your video descriptions and meta-tags properly so that the search engines can find them.
One challenge facing videographers is the large file size of video submissions. It is very important that you check out the website before you complete submission to ensure their library can handle your video. Video quality is another area of concern. Amateur submissions make it more difficult for high-quality videos to make it to the stage.
So where can you submit your marketing videos? First on the list of recommended video sites is the most famous — YouTube.com. Obviously, this is the premier name among them all. Everybody has some knowledge of YouTube. Once you post on YouTube, millions will have access to your company information.
Yahoo is the next name in video. Like YouTube, this site is widely viewed, offering good exposure opportunities for your video marketing campaign.
Photobucket.com, a venture started in 2003, reached number one on the web photo popularity list. Like our first two services, this site offers free submission. In 2005, Photobucket was acquired by Fox Interactive Media, a part of the News Corp. family of businesses.
Dailymotion.com ranks 65th top website in the world and is the world’s largest independent video entertainment site. With traffic like that lining up to see videos, yours is more likely to be noticed.
Metacafé.com has 25 million unique visitors each month. One difference between this site and other video submission services is that videos are typically 90 seconds in length. This modality works well for video marketing, and makes it more likely that Internet surfers with short attention spans will watch your video in its entirety.
Modern marketing methods change faster than Windows versions. Businesses like yours must keep up or become a bad cliché. Now you have one more exciting tool to add to your bag of marketing tricks.
Written by Mark Bove’
Sep 28
Using a One-Page Website to Build Leads, by Mark Bove’
Your website, internet marketing 2 Comments »Now brick and mortar stores have virtual locations on the worldwide web. With consumers spending more time on the internet, business owners need to use new methods to reach out to these 21st century shoppers. Search engine optimization can help. The internet has done wonderful things for businesses and has changed the advertising world completely. There was a day when you spent your advertising dollars on newspaper, television, and radio spots. Google transformed advertising the way typewriters revolutionized printing.It starts when a person needs information on a certain topic. They type a word or phrase into a search engine and up pop multiple results pages with links to the sponsoring websites. If your site piques this person’s interest, he can click on your page and voila, you have a very interested customer, and possibly a repeat buyer.
Most people lose interest in scrolling through search results before they reach the end of the first page, so search engine ranking is very important. To score a higher spot on the results page, a website needs to have keywords in the domain name or in the content of the web page itself.
You can increase traffic to your website by using a series of “mini funnel” websites. These one-page sites address one keyword topic. Call it a landing page. You can put in banners asking people to spread the word to friends by giving a forwarding option or offer membership to your newsletter for lead building.
The keys to making these sites work is using just 1-3 keywords. Some other points to remember include:
Keep the subject as a single issue. Too many topics could make it less relevant.Give an overview of the topic itself. Build links to other sites about the same issue.Keep it simple. Let’s face the facts—people have short attention spans. Add too many pages to these sites and they lose the novelty factor.
Spread the word. Encourage visitors to email a friend or use link banners. Offer surveys, videos, and polls. These tools are designed to generate further interest in the site.
Do your selling somewhere else. No one likes to “be sold.” You want to build leads right now. Once they know you, you can then send out links to your main site.
Sep 24
The ABC’s of SEO, by Mark Bove’
Audio Blogcasts by Mark Bove, Your website, internet marketing No Comments »Know Your ABC’s (of SEO that is)
Let start with “SEO” defined:
According to 2 simple sentences from Wikipedia:
“Search engine optimization (SEO also search optimization) is the process of editing and organizing the content on a web page or across a website to increase its potential relevance to specific keywords on specific search engines. This is done with the aim of achieving a higher organic search listing and thus increasing the volume of traffic from search engines.”
CLICK THE ABOVE PLAY BUTTON FOR THE WHOLE STORY
Apr 29
Building a customer centered website, by Mark Bove
Audio Blogcasts by Mark Bove, Your website, internet marketing No Comments »Mar 30
Launching your small business website, by Mark Bove’
Audio Blogcasts by Mark Bove, Your website No Comments »
Sep 29
For businesses, it is not the clothing that determines the best style and design. Instead, it is the image that is created through a presence in various ways. One of the ways in which you can make sure that you are in style is through a site design. By doing this, you will have the ability to build a better business presence online, catch the attention of spiders and gain more momentum for potential customers. Following is the top 10 of what keeps you in style.
-
Who you are. Your customers want to know. About us pages and informational pages that let customers know about your business, your background and the people that work with you will create a valid image on the Internet.
-
Product information. Always put what your business offers, from prices to unique attributes of what you have to offer.
-
Purchasing information. Always give your customers the option of where to buy. Remember that your web presence is not only for offering information about your business, but also for pulling in new customers. If you can’t offer an online purchase area, let them know where to go.
-
Portfolios or samples. This is one of the most important things for the Internet. It is what makes you relevant. Just like if you are walking into a physical store, you want to present what you have to other customers.
-
Support. Customers want to know that you will be there for them. Offer your support for what they need, more information, facts about your company and troubleshooting help. The more you offer, the more your customers will trust you as an online presence.
-
The latest. News, announcements and the latest information is an easy way to gain attention and momentum on the Internet. Don’t hesitate to post the latest news or press releases about a product or service you have.
-
Contact information. Why have a website if customers can’t contact you? Always place a contact page or contact information throughout your site, such as phone numbers, an e-mail and a physical location if you have one.
-
Employment opportunities. This is an easy way to get the extra helping hand that you need for your business.
-
Links. The most important link to have is one back to the home page. Always let your customers have a refresher of who you are and information about your company. To a customer, this is where it all began and they want to remember that part of the path.
-
Simple navigation. Don’t leave your customers stranded! The easier it is to click and move across your website, the better it will be. Your customers will feel like they can trust you because you are organized and because everything fits together perfectly and in style. If you feel stuck, create a page layout design to make sure that you can place all of the information together with the links. Within your design, make sure it is simple and can be used with different browsers. Not everyone uses the Internet Explorer as the main way to browse. The simplicity should also include how to move across your navigation. Remember that one click always does the trick.
These simple steps will easily put you on your way to having a business fashion that is worth looking at. Through these small elements placed together, your presence will easily build on the Internet.
For more information on site design, contact Mark Bove at www.youronestop.com.
