Archive for August, 2010
Search Engine Optimization Demystified
Part 1 – The Players Search engines like Google, Yahoo, Altavista, MSN Search, and others, have become indispensable as personal and business tools for finding what we all need on the World Wide Web. As web site owners, we know that to take advantage of this reality we must optimize our web sites for search engines. However, there is a lot of confusion, misunderstanding, myth, and even fraud in this area. To demystify this topic, and provide the tools to make intelligent, well-informed decisions for our web sites, it is useful to identify the main players, understand how search engines actually work and follow the money. By understanding the motives involved, one can get a big picture understanding of the issues. In business there is no bigger motivator than money.
There are two main players in the search engine optimization field – the Search Engine companies (like Google), and the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) companies (they are numerous, no big names stand out).
Search Engine Companies:How do search engine companies (Google) make their money?Primarily with paid advertising.Why would advertisers use a search engine\’s web site to promote their product?Eyeballs… lots of them!How does a search engine company get those eyeballs?By providing a tool (the search facility) that works really well, giving reliable, useful, relevant, and current results on keyword searches. It is in the best interest of a Search Engine company to index as many sites as possible, as often as possible, and to have a ranking mechanism that will provide accurate results for key word searches on those web sites.
This bears repeating: yes Search Engines want to list your site in their index! Furthermore, they want to rank it as accurately as possible. There is no need to trick the search engines into finding or ranking your web site. In fact, several practices commonly employed to fool search engines into ranking a site higher than it should be can have quite the opposite result. Search Engine companies actively research such techniques and develop ways to counter them in the interests of maintaining the accuracy and integrity of their search results. So if the Search Engine companies want to rank your site well, why does getting good results seem so difficult and mysterious?
There are three major reasons for this: The exact ranking algorithm used by Search Engine companies is a closely guarded secret. So we, as web site owners or developers, cannot know precisely how to cater to it. In addition, different search engine companies may use different algorithms and they upgrade these algorithms regularly. The result of any web site optimization effort is always a trade off between maximizing your results for a particular set of terms and narrowing your potential scope. In other words, one cannot have both; every key word possible for your product or service, and a specific set of key words optimized to the fullest. The total amount of traffic to a web site is not solely determined by search engine optimization. Traditional marketing can significantly affect results and these would be difficult to separate from results derived from SEO. Confusing the issue further are the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Companies.
It is in the interests of the SEO company to \”appear\” to be able to increase traffic to a web site in ways not available to a web site owner and seemingly being able to exceed the capabilities of web site designers and developers. In short, keeping the methods they use as a mystery is to their advantage.
We at Back2Front – The Web Site People, have worked with clients who have opted to use SEO companies in addition to the optimization we provide as part of our management service. We have also heard reports from new clients who have tried these services before coming to us. In both scenarios we have seen that there is rarely a perception of a good return on investment. Why is this?
Web site optimization for search engines should be done as an integral part of the development of the web site. The way the site is built, coded, and written affects the results – often dramatically. Most SEO companies (since they usually do not build web sites) come in after the fact, and may have no control over how the site was built. Trying to optimize a web site with key word adjustments on a poorly built site is like trying to shore up the foundations of a building with more coats of paint.
Optimization is an ongoing process, something that should be looked at regularly as part of the management of a web site. As new competition comes online and your business develops, changes should be made to your site\’s SEO to compensate. Most SEO companies do not have the necessary long-term association with their clients to accomplish this.
Expectations of web site owners (partly driven by the SEO company\’s promises) are often unrealistic. Search engine optimization companies often charge $500 or more for their service. For this kind of money, expectations are understandably high. But know this: if an SEO company promises number one placement of your web site on Google, don\’t deal with them. Such a claim is misleading at best and down right fraudulent at worst. Just for fun you could ask them: \”number one for what search term?\” If their answer is your domain name, i.e., \”back2front.ca,\” well duh! Of course they can guarantee that! You will get that regardless, since domain names must, by definition, be unique. If they say they can get you number one for some good search terms, for example, \”web design,\” then ask, \”what do I get as compensation if I do not get number one?\” Hope they say money, because it\’s a sure bet they will be paying! Think about this: this is a company guaranteeing results from a third party they do not have any control over.
With this kind of misleading information, it is no wonder that SEO is mysterious for many people. But search engine companies like Google do make public the criteria used in their algorithms and provide basic web master guidelines for successful search engine optimization. If you are curious, go check it out… http://www.google.ca
In the second part of this 3 part series of articles I will explore how the search engines actually work. ReadSearch Engines Demystified Part 2.
www.back2front.ca
by Candace Carter, Back2Front-The Web Site People, 2009
On occasion, it does no harm to be reminded of things which may be commonly known in theory but are unfortunately often forgotten in practice. This applies to online firms who are attempting to promote their brand by using Facebook and Twitter. It is commonplace to suggest that the majority of social media users can be alienated if the marketing techniques being used are not sufficiently subtle. Despite this ‘take home message’ being highlighted by article after article on the net, evidence suggests that too many firms simply do not get it. They are thus missing out on the chance to maximise the benefits of their efforts and their target audience is being won over by cannier firms, probably those employing SMM and full site search engine optimization campaigns.
Social media marketing can only work well if it is informed by knowledge which is produced by SMM and SEO professionals. Without this kind of specialised knowledge, the techniques used will be out-of-date and ineffective. Even worse, it is probable that elementary errors will be made. The sorts of errors which can alienate others include:
• Using direct messages on Facebook to plug products in an unsophisticated manner can prove tiresome. It can be so aggravating that people stop reading their direct messages altogether.
• On Facebook, the practice of putting a promotional plug on someone else’s wall can be self-defeating and can slightly damage the online reputation of the individual or firm who did it.
• Using Twitter to send @reply messages which push a product to an unknown individual is a practice which very seldom has the intended impact. Indeed, it can be a good way of damaging the perception an individual has of a firm before they have had any significant dealings with them.
• Using Twitter without contributing to the social side of things can make a firm appear unfriendly. A gradualist approach to Twitter should include entering into industry relevant debates in an amicable manner, not simply tweeting remorselessly about the value of a specific product.
• Using LinkedIn to send unsolicited sales pitches to strangers will impress nobody.
The basic principle of being successful on the social media is to ‘do as you would be done by.’ Most of use these social media personally, for entertainment and for information, so we instinctively perceive what is not a good strategy. However, when we are at work we can be driven by our ‘work mindset’ into performing counterproductive acts. This is where using experts like seoconsult.co.uk can really deliver the goods. For example, they can distinguish between positive and negative actions with ease.
It is important to strike a balance between the ‘social’ and the ‘economic.’ An expert has estimated that about 15 per cent of status updates or tweets can be promotional. This is the level which they personally judge to be acceptable. Social media optimisation is a complex field and the appropriate percentage will vary across economic sectors and possibly between countries. It is important to keep an eye on emerging research in this area, if the right tactics are to be deployed more often than not.
Virtual Dedicated hosting servers, suggests how the mention, are hosts that almost seem to be dedicated. In reality, a server is in a number of different hosting servers and zones each zone has the capacity of a personal dedicated server.
Virtual Dedicated Hosting mixture from the properties of Shared Web Hosting & dedicated hosting server. They are more than low-cost physical dedicated servers but offer all available capacity in a dedicated web hosting. In a Virtual Dedicated Hosting, buyers can get a super-user level access to the operating system that zone, and it is also one of the software by the client installed on the operating system yet harmonious, there are some limitations when considering a Virtual Dedicated Hosting.
Various software programs may not run properly in a virtual environment such as firewalls, antivirus practical applications, etc. that you expect more or fewer restrictions, depending on the virtual service. But having noted that these restrictions are less than what you see on a shared web hosting Possibly. Furthermore, as the number of consumers that are running on this virtual environment, the hosting server processor limitations in execution time, RAM and disk space. Most often offer virtual servers more personal security measure and can be used for update testing.
a Virtual Dedicated hosting partition can be used for Web-hosting site online & some other partition can be used to apply rules for the test. This gives detailed examination of the web-site copy resident in one physical server, virtual server without requiring any other server.
advantage with virtual dedicated hosting server, it is allowed, all the software system, even when all functions remain the security restrictions because it is not threatened by the server. Consequently, Virtual Dedicated Hosting has the ability, the function of a plan to catch that setup any bad behavior of the system is to play. So, the hosting of your web site on a virtual dedicated hosting has many advantages. Many of the leading web hosting provider today as Inmotion Hosting (which I recommend in particular) as a component of their excellent virtual web hosting solutions for dedicated hosting.
The internet can seem dangerous to web users, with many instances of email scams, viruses and Trojans putting people on guard when they venture online. It can be helpful to remember that web users have no reason to trust any site, so when creating a web design it is important to think about inspiring trust rather than risk losing visitors.
Unexpected events can shake a user’s confidence, so it is crucial that a site is created that is easy and straightforward to use. A shoddy looking design could lead visitors to believe that the whole site might be inferior, a possible sham, so employing a professional designer is an essential step. An experienced web development company will be able to give a feeling of quality to a site, and, if this is combined with a clear navigational structure, visitors will be much more relaxed than they would if confronted by a jumbled design where it might seem awkward to move between pages.
If a design uses real images of staff, products and premises, rather than stock photos, this can again help to reassure users that they have not stumbled across a bogus firm. Information that is all at the top level of a site conveys honesty, rather than the alternative where it is buried several layers deep, as is sometimes the case with shipping charges which are hidden until the checkout is reached. At Click Consult we create websites that make visitors feel secure, because we understand that a website must reassure in order to succeed.
From the very first stages of website design, right through the process and beyond, we can help your business create a successful online presence.
For anybody looking at making money online and setting up a website, a working knowledge of Search Engine Optimization is essential. Search engine optimization is one of the key “success factors” of all websites, it has the ability to make or break your online presence. Search engine optimization is the art of getting websites to the top the search engines under the things you do. Search Engine Optimization is a process designed to ensure that your web site ranks as highly as possible in the major search engines. It’s not just a few secret tweaks you can make to your website to magically vault you to the top. Even though it’s a science in itself, Search Engine Optimization is a lot cheaper compared to other methods of getting traffic.
Natural search engine optimization is of long-term benefit and a well written website will significantly increase the return in investment in your website. As a webmaster, your primary role in Search Engine Optimization is determining exactly what it is you do, who you do it to and where you do it. Unlike a popular belief, Search engine optimization is not about tricking the search engines. Successful Search Engine Optimization is all about ensuring that the relevant content is delivered to those who search for it. The first step in search engine optimization is keyword research, writing rich, relevant content about each of your given key phrases. Search Engine Optimization is an ongoing process though. For any online business, it is a long term strategic decision.
The great thing about search engine optimizations is that the traffic it creates will keep flowing long after the actual work is done. Search Engine Optimization is crucial if you want your site to be picked up by users of the major search engines. It is not simple but with a small amount of work you can start your SEO campaign and gain high rankings. Search Engine Optimization is a tricky business, but its certainly never too late to learn.
As the above article has shown, Search Engine Optimization is a vital component of building any website you own. For internet marketing and online marketing, search engine optimization is crucial. Search Engine Optimization is a lot cheaper compared to other methods of getting traffic. Search engine optimization is the key to online success. Search Engine Optimization is a process designed to ensure that your web site ranks as highly as possible in the major search engines.
Last but not least. You should get the Search Engine Optimized from a professional company such as www.prishantek.com who have highly experienced SEO professional to get your website higher ranking at a very reasonable cost.