January 21st, 2010
So, you are starting to understand how to boost your SEO, you are motivated to blog, you are having fun interacting on social media sites, are working on creating interesting content for your followers, and are motivated to get more incoming links. You are making progress. Good for you!
So do you know how all this is helping you?
Yes, you may understand that all of these things are good for your business, but doesn’t it feel good to see the results? Proof that this hard work is paying off? If you haven’t already…set up Google Analytics for your website. Google offers powerful tools for you to be able to monitor activity on your website.
This way once you post a new blog article, and inform your followers on Facebook and Twitter that you have something new and juicy to read…you can hop over to Google Analytics to see how it all pans out. Did people find your post interesting? Did it lead them to read more on your site? Did people find you through the search results too? Are people linking to your articles? All these things, and more can be seen with Google Analytics.
Example of the Google Analytics Dashboard
Once you have created an account with Google and installed the verification code on your site (to prove that you have the right to track the site) you are on your way to new horizons. Google gives you statistics on the number of visitors you have per day, the number of pages viewed, how long the viewer spent on your site, how they arrived at your site (google search, direct link etc) whether they were a new visitor, and so much more! The benefit of this service is endless, and this is only the tip of the iceberg. You can also set up custom tracking tools to look at specific features on your site that you wish to analyze.
Have fun and feel proud once you see the benefits of all your hard work!
Tags: Google Analytics, tools
Posted in Blogging, Inbound Links, SEO | No Comments »
December 14th, 2009
Many of my clients want to improve their search engine rankings and are surprised to know that a large percentage of it is in their own control. Yes, that is right. You can boost your SEO. All you have to do is take the time, roll up your sleeves and have fun! Make friends with some of the best SEO boosting tools like Facebook, Twitter and your very own blog, and start sharing your stories with the world.
Blogging
This is your platform, your soapbox if you will, where you can express to the world your knowledge, your skills, and the wonders of your product. As a business owner, you might consider yourself quite knowledgeable in your field…so start talking about what you know. For example if you are a personal trainer looking for new clients, share workout tips, write about exercise equipment and blog about healthy recipes. All of these topic will help to present you as an expert in your field and each article that you write will also boost your SEO on the internet.
Most importantly, don’t forget to keep it interesting, and fun. If people just think you are trying to sell yourself or your product, they won’t stick around for more. But if they like reading your articles because of your down-to-earth, candid personality they will return again and again to find out more…and they will tell others about you. And then you are on your way to SEO heaven!
Facebook
Here is another fun way of connecting with others to share the excitement of your business. Sure, Facebook is a place where you can reconnect with friends from elementary school, but it is also so much more. Start a business page, share photos of your products, write status updates about the latest news, share links to new blog articles, let your fans know about special sales and offers, invite your fans to special events…
There are so many fun ways to express your business on Facebook, and once again, it is all in your hands. The more you put into it, the more it can benefit you and it will all connect back to your website!
Twitter
Do you tweet? Its quick, its easy, and it is another great way to enter into the social pool and play with like-minded people. Tweets are limited to 140 characters, so it doesn’t take a lot of your time, but another great way to share quick updates, pointers, advice, stories, links to a great article you think your followers would be interested in. Introduce yourself, make friends and soon you will have lots of followers who want to hear your latest update, and who are drawn to your website to find out more about you. Another boost for your SEO.
So to recap:
SEO is in your hands. You have the power to present who you are and what makes your business special. In an internet world where everyone can become anonymous, many people are actually looking for someone who is real. Someone who presents an authentic, honest and fun approach to their business. So have a good time: blog, tweet, and create your facebook world.
Posted in Blogging, Facebook, Inbound Links, SEO, Social Media, Twitter | No Comments »
November 30th, 2009
When we talk about search engine optimization (SEO) we are talking about your domain name. You can think about your domain name as your home, the home of your business. It is where you and all of your employees work hard to represent your business well, and offer stellar services to your clients. You choose your employees for their skills and positive qualities, and know that they contribute to the growth of your business. So you wouldn’t want to miss out on all of that positive promotion, right?
Think about the different elements of your website each as an employee, working hard to boost your rankings in the search engines. As you have read in previous articles, your blog can be seen as your Employee of the Year. Your blog (if you are using it well) is constantly being updated with content relevant to your business, and feeding the search engines with reasons to “pick you” when an appropriate keyword comes up. So, why wouldn’t you want your blog in-your-home, rooting for your team?
Many people don’t even realize it, but if your blog does not sit on your domain name, it is not helping your search engine rankings. Check the domain name of your blog. Does it end in wordpress.com, typepad.com, blogspot.com or something of the sort? If so, your blog isn’t in your home. I am sure it would be much happier to be a member of your team, living in the spare bedroom, or even above the garage. As long as it is in your home! So, check right away to see where your blog is living, and if it is not on your own domain name, fix that asap!
Feel free to contact me if you have questions about this.
Tags: domain name, rankings
Posted in Blogging, SEO | No Comments »
November 26th, 2009
In a previous article entitled “Get me to the top, please” I touched on the basics of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). One of the leading ways to improve your SEO is to have a blog…but more specifically…write blog articles. It doesn’t just help you to have a blog in your possession, attached to your website, you actually need to use it.
Every article that you write on your blog offers you an opportunity to tell search engines “Keep checking back, I am adding more all the time”. Search engines visit your site depending on the frequency that you actually add information. So if you had your 10 page website designed in 2005 and you haven’t edited or added new pages to it since, it is pretty likely that search engines don’t visit it much. Not very exciting for the search engine, huh?
If you start out with a 10 page website and then add 4 articles to your blog per month, you are also making it that much more likely that you will be found in search engines. Over a year you will accumulate to 58 pages, over 5 times the amount of chances that Google will choose you when someone searches for a keyword associated with your business.
And to get to the nitty-gritty details…what you write about is really important too! If your business is web design, but your blog articles are about daisies, you are not helping your cause too much. The search engines will read every word in each article to determine when you match a search engine query. So if you are writing about how to grow daisies, it is unlikely that a search engine will list you in the results of a search on web design.
So if you want to improve your rankings (SEO):
Start a blog
Commit to writing a few articles a month to start
Write about topics related to your business
These are the first steps. From there, have fun with it! Write in a manner that engages, entertains, and informs. If people enjoy reading your blog they will also want to subscribe to it, suggest it to others, link to it, and eventually you will be drawing in new clients too!
Posted in Blogging, SEO | No Comments »
November 24th, 2009
Image courtesy of Smashing Magazine
Have you seen this image before? The ubiquitous circle with two arcs? You have probably seen it on tons of website, and if you have no idea what it means, you are not alone. Many of my clients are not aware of how this little icon can help simplify their lives.
It comes in all different colors, but it is there to tell you one simple message: “subscribe here”.
There are so many blogs on the internet these days – you can learn about anything and everything. Whether you want to stay up-to-date on your niece’s travels through Europe, or the latest cell phone innovations, RSS will bring the articles to you. This way you don’t have to check each individual blog to see if there is anything new…you can just subscribe using the RSS link, and voila! the updates are delivered to you.
But…how does it get to you? Well the next step is to have a “feed reader” which will gather the subscriptions for you. There are tons to choose from! Personally I am very happy with the one that I use: Newsfire, but if your computer does not meet the requirements for Newsfire, you can also check out this list of other options.
Do you already have a feed reader of choice? Let me know what you use by leaving a comment below.
- An example of a browser which provides an RSS button for subscriptions.
Posted in Blogging | No Comments »
May 11th, 2009
I have been working with a few different clients lately on logo design projects, and thought I would share some topics that have come up in the visionary process. If you are thinking of having a logo designed for you, or a re-design of your current logo, these suggestions could help you to be prepared to convey to your designer exactly what you are looking for with your new logo.
1. Know what you want (or at least have an idea):
Before you contact a designer, it helps to take some time to think about your business and how you want to represent it visually. What clientele are you hoping to appeal to, and what type of design will help you with that. Can you tie-in your logo with the services that you offer, or the name of your business? What type of image do you want to portray through your logo, and will that come across with the ideas that you have come up with?
2: Have examples:
Examples are extremely helpful! This will give the designer an idea of what appeals to you, and your business style. When choosing examples, look for other logos that catch your eye, and identify why you like them. Through the logos that you choose is there a common theme? Even if you don’t like everything about an example that you find it will help to identify the colors, font styles, and design style that you are looking for. Coming prepared will definitely help!
3. Have a budget:
Knowing the budget that you want to work with from the get-go will help you and the designer to stay on a clear path. You have already chosen to work with a professional designer as opposed to some sort of online logo generating machine, so you know you will be paying for quality. Be clear on what you can reasonably afford, so that you will both know from the beginning if it will be a good match.
4: Some things you should consider:
When visualizing your design, it is important to consider some factors that will affect your logo. Your logo will be a representation of your business, and therefore you will be using it for many different purposes, and in many different places. Your designer will want to create a logo that will look great at all dimensions. You will most likely be using it for stationary, business cards, on your website, and will also be submitting it to other companies who are suggesting you, linking to you and adding you to their fundraiser lists. In some of these situations you will not be able to control the size of your logo, and therefore want to be sure that it is clear and appealing even when taken to a small proportion.
If your logo is designed in color, it is also important that it will be appealing if it needs to be shown in black and white. You may even want to consider having a black and white version of your logo created to be sure that you are happy with the way it looks if you are represented in a black and white print location.
The more prepared, and clear you are from the very beginning the easier the design process will be, and the lines of communication between you an your designer.
If you would like to read more about logo design check out these articles:
What Makes a Great Logo Design?
20 Sources to Get Logo Design Inspiration
Logo Design from Sketch to Final Design
Posted in Print Design, Web Design | No Comments »
April 27th, 2009
I have been using TweetDeck for about a week now, and so far I am enjoying it. It is a great way to streamline your social media platforms. I have been using it for Facebook and Twitter and so far it is saving me a lot of time! Using TweetDeck, I can monitor people’s Facebook status updates, and their Twitter tweets in one place. TweetDeck makes a friendly little chirping sound when an update comes in, and all I have to do is leave the program open on my computer.
Already I have noticed that I am much more active on Twitter than I have been because TweetDeck makes it easy to post new tweets to my account as well. I think this is a great program for someone who is overwhelmed with keeping up with the new social media world. TweetDeck is in its beta version, so I am sure there will be many updates and improvements over time, but so far I am quite happy with where it is headed. If you have been daunted by the idea of joining Facebook, or Twitter or both, and having to manage this new social world, I think TweetDeck is a good place to start.
Tags: TweetDeck
Posted in Facebook, Reviews, Social Media, Twitter | No Comments »
April 9th, 2009
If you own a website, SEO is one of those acronyms that you hear a lot, and you probably know that your website should have it…but do you know how to get it and what it means? Basically the goal is how to get good old Google, Yahoo etc to show your business in the top rankings. It helps to understand what the main elements of SEO are and how you can actively improve your rankings.
This may come as a suprise to you, but the top SEO boost for your website is calculated by incoming links. Incoming links, means links from other websites that recommend you. It is important to know that search engines also weigh the quality of the link, and it is more useful to have fewer high quality links than tons of links coming from low ranking sites. All in all, lots of links are good, but over time it is best to work on accumulating links from quality sources. It is more important to be linked from businesses that are similar to yours in service and quality. It is also highly beneficial to have links from websites that are well known (and well ranked) for example if a well-established online magazine or newspaper does an article on your business and links to your site. This has been referred to as “link-love“.
On the topic of links, search engines also “appreciate” links from your website to other websites. Search engines are known to “crawl” the web, traveling from one site to the other, and if you have created “paths” for them it keeps them moving, and gives them another chance to make associations about your website. Links from your website will benefit you as well by telling the search engine what businesses are similar to yours by nature, quality, location etc.
If you are starting to wonder how you can accumulate more incoming links, one thing to consider is to start a blog for your website. Blogs are arguably the second best way to boost your search engine rankings, for many reasons. In reference to incoming links, a blog gives you more of an opportunity for people to link to your site. If you write an article, demostrating your expertise on a topic related to your business, it creates the opportunity for another blogger to refer to your article in their blog.
A blog will also boost your website in other ways. Search engines are happier to find a website that is updated frequently. They will rank your site higher if you are updating frequently, and if you are writing articles for a blog that is hosted on the same domain name as your website, this is an easy way to tell search engines to keep checking for updates!
The topics that you write about will also help your SEO rankings. Assuming that your blog is associated with your business, the articles that you write will add numerous opportunities for search engines to associate you with keywords that you want to be found by when someone declares a search. For example if your business is selling cookies online, and you write articles about the history of chocolate chip cookies, share a recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies, write about cookies appropriate for each season, or beverages that compliment the cookies that you sell… All of these topics, related to your cookies, will bring up more opportunities for the search engines to identify your business correctly with proper keywords. I will go into this in more detail in future articles, but this gives you an idea of how a blog can benefit you.
A blog also puts you in greater control of your own SEO. Most people are looking for the DIY-approach for their business, and blogging is a great solution! You can have a blog set up for you, and designed to match your website, but from there, you are the author and can update it whenever you want. This means that you are actively boosting your SEO each time you write.
Blogs can be a huge topic to talk about and for now I just wanted to introduce the idea for you. I will be happy to answer questions as well, so let me know what wheels are turning now that you have learned a little more about SEO and blogs. I look forward to connecting.
Posted in SEO | No Comments »