Don’t do it yourself

Instead of attempting to do this on one’s own, it is prudent and recommended to seek out and hire an SEO consultant.  A professional SEO consultant will be able to determine which services are needed to make one’s business web site optimized for search engines and how to incorporate SEO marketing.

There are dozens of specific tasks and elements that go into good SEO and going the “do-it-yourself” route may end with one’s web site not showing at all in the major search engines.

Check their previous work

The first thing to ask for when looking for the perfect SEO expert is previous examples of SEO content as well as web sites they have helped optimize in the past.  Check the rankings of these web sites with the major search engines – Google and Yahoo are perfect examples – and use the Alexa web site to view overall rankings.  Alexa is a free web traffic metric analyzer that will give one a good overview of how well a web site or company is doing over time.

A good showing with increased rankings over time is an indication of how effective an SEO consultant can be.  Rankings that are dropping or maintaining an unchanged level would indicate locating another SEO expert would be in order.

Look at rates

Check the rates of the SEO consultants one is considering.  Very low rates can mean the person in question is just starting out and is trying to build up their portfolio.  Very high rates but with a less than stellar portfolio can also indicate a novice in the SEO field or one that isn’t terribly good at what they do.

Alternatively, as the world economy has taken a beating lately, many professionals have dropped their rates accordingly.  This is an important factor to keep in mind when researching rates.  Check to see if the SEO professional in question has recently dropped their hourly or project rates – one may get a bargain out of this.

Cheaper isn’t better

Don’t attempt to take the cheapest route.  While initially it may seem like a good idea and cost effective, a low rate SEO consultant can mean poor work produced for one’s business web site.  This, in turn, will mean ineffective search engine optimization, low rankings (if at all) within the major search engines and pretty much a loss of money overall.

Careful research should be done when looking to hire an SEO consultant.  Look at their previous results, experience and rates.  Remember that great search engine optimization can mean more customers and hiring a professional to do it correctly can only bring about a return on one’s investment.

Lend Valuable Insight Where Needed

It does not matter how good the SEO company is, there is no way they can be fully grasp all the activities and processes going on within your organization.  By emphasizing some of the essentials upfront, you can shed light on areas that aid the outsourced agency and result in a win-win situation for both sides.  Don’t want until the SEO firm has almost completed the project to bring up matters that should have already been discussed.

Build Trust within the Firm

One definite way to hinder the success of your SEO project is to challenge the service provider with justification for every little recommendation.  True, since they are working for you, the company should have no trouble providing you with the answers you require at any given time.  However, making them do so repeatedly and needlessly could tie up resources that may have been devoted to pouring more productivity into your project.  Establishing a level of trust is not always as easy as it sounds, but if it does not exist, your campaign can turn out be very chaotic very fast.

Stay Open to Change

Some SEO campaigns require that significant changes to be made to the actual content or the overall structure of the site.  Depending on your role in the project, you may have to argue on behalf of the agency in order to change existing corporate polices and bridge the two parties together.  This could be a major hold up if top decision makers are not willing to discuss the negative impact their polices could have on the project.  If it is you making the decisions, keep yourself open to exploring possible changes that will benefit the campaign.

Learn and Apply

The more you know about your campaign and what it needs to be a success, the less the SEO firm has to go over.  Therefore, if a particular area has already been thoroughly covered, the firm should be able to build on it and consistently elevate their efforts to achieve the desired results.  That does not mean you shouldn’t try to bring something to the table.  If you don’t know or care enough to add to working concepts, it is very unlikely that your SEO agency will get the support they need to successfully employ advanced methods such as link building via social media and video sharing platforms.

If you want good results from your SEO campaign, get involved with the company handling all the hard work and give aid where ever you can.  By sitting back and leaving the entire project in the agency’s hands, you are more than likely to receive less than desirable results.

1) Thumbshots Rankings

Thumbshots Ranking offers an informative, yet fun way to make yourself familiar with search engines and learn how to optimize your site for better ranking.  Proper use of this tool can go a long way in generating the quality traffic you seek.

2.) SEOBench

This particular SEO tool analyzes results from Google and Yahoo, identifies what they have in common, and them provides a graphical display of the results in both engines.  SEOBench gives you a nice illustration which reveals that while optimizing your site for both Google and Yahoo is not necessarily an easy task, it is not impossible either.

3.) Link Appeal

Link Appeal is a very effective tool that calculates the efficiency rating of having a link on a given URL.  It relies on factors such as the number of outbound links, its page rank and the overall percentage of links to HTML.  Link Appeal can serve as a great tool for helping you decide whether to request a link on a particular web page or not.

4.) Link Popularity Checker

The Link Popularity Checker is pretty self explanatory as it informs you on how many sites are linked to your own.  We think you will find this tool quite valuable being that link popularity is such an integral part of the entire optimization process.  The more popular your site becomes, the better it will rank in the SERPs.

5.) SEO Checker

SEO Checker is an ideal tool for checking up on search engine saturation, which simply describes the number of pages a search engine indexes for a given website.  While every search engine does not report this information, a fair share of them do, and this is enough to establish a few meaningful benchmarks for your SEM campaign.

6.) Google PageRank Report

Google PageRank Report is something you can use to automatically check the ranking value for any URL you specify in the provided form.  To get the best results, simple add “www” in front of the domain in question.

7.) Link Value

This easy to use link calculator calculates the link value of your website on a monthly basis.  The value is calculated based on many essential factors specific to most of the major search engines.

8.) Keyword Research

Keyword Research is a tool that can be used to research your targeted keywords and phrases, helping you determine which as best suited to implement into your web pages.  All if you have to do is enter a given term or phrase, and the tool automatically makes additional suggestions regarding other words and phrases you should think about targeting.

9.) Google Keyword Suggestions – This handy Google orientated tool will aid you in the process of selecting popular and relevant terms that are related to your desired keyword.  Simply enter a word, and the tool queries data from a number of Google searches, which it then uses to determine the most relevant terms used by websites in that particular niche.

Source: http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/10/05/nine-must-have-seo-tools/

Generating Traffic with Press Releases

Press releases are not limited to introducing a new product or service.  However, link popularity and all the most popular keywords on the web will not aid your efforts if traffic is not coming to your site.  With a good press release, you can reel in traffic from the following sources:

Direct Traffic – In the ideal environment, your published press release will be syndicated across a network of related sites.  If you are able to snag readers with an intriguing headline, people will check out the piece and follow up by paying your site a visit.

Subscribers - By signing up with a reputable press release service, you can have your publication submitted to leading news wire sites like, EIN News, Google News, Topix and several more.  These sites maintain an existing database of subscribers so when publishing a press release, they will be able to view your piece in their news readers.  If they like what you have to say, they will visit your site to find out what else you have to offer.  This is certainly an avenue you want to consider because these sites combine to offer the potential of millions of visitors every month.

Search Engines – The most valuable traffic source that can be obtained is generated directly from the search engines.  This could turn out to be a long term source because your press release will remain online for as long as your site is up and running.  Should the traffic from the news wire sites start to diminish, you can always rely on the search engines for that consistent stream needed to keep up your exposure.

Organic Search Engine Rankings - Since publishing a press release is merely another aspect of SEO, your search engine rankings will naturally improve, thus resulting in more organic traffic.  When following this up with quality backlinks, you can boost your traffic numbers considerably very fast.

Tips for Press Release Writing

If you want to write a press release to improve your SEO efforts, keep the following tips in mind:

- Right your press release in the third person.

- Compose an intriguing headline to entice readers.

- Emphasis facts and benefits; avoid fluff.

- Make sure your press release is not too short or too long.  500 or so words should do the trick.

- Remember to insert your primary keywords into the press release.  Do not go overboard with keywords as you want your piece to flow as naturally as possible.

]]> http://www.easymedia.ro/blog/2009/10/leveraging-the-press-release-as-an-seo-tool/feed/ 0 http://www.easymedia.ro/blog/2009/09/how-search-engine-friendly-is-your-domain-name/ http://www.easymedia.ro/blog/2009/09/how-search-engine-friendly-is-your-domain-name/#comments Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:00:47 +0000 WebHost http://www.easymedia.ro/?p=588 A search engine-friendly domain name can put you on a path to achieve the rankings and traffic you need to be successful online.  It can aid in helping target your audience, increase conversions and open the door to multiple streams of revenue.  If these benefits are desirable to you, the following tips should come in handy when going to the registrar to acquire the name.

Think SEO and User-friendly Domain - In order to be considered search engine-friendly, your domain name must be preferably short and easy to remember.  This way, users can recall it much faster and the probability of generating quality traffic becomes much greater.  In most cases, a long, complicated name will only work against you and hinder your success.

Focus on Keywords - Keywords add to the success of a domain name because they play such a critical role in the SEO process.  When implementing keywords into your URL, search engines like Google will index it faster, thus increasing the possibility of higher click-through rates and most importantly, more exposure.

Be Cautious of Hyphens - Many SEO experts speak strongly against inserting hyphens in a domain name.  This is because they can lead to complications such as users forgetting where the hyphen is to be positioned within the domain.  Because there could be many similar websites that contain domain names without hyphens, you want to be very careful that you do not direct visitors to your competition.

Optimize for Type-in Traffic – Some internet users have a habit of typing keywords directly into their browser bar instead of a search box.  To leverage this type of traffic, you may want to register a domain that contains your targeted domain in its entirety to increase your traffic through this prevalent market.

Choose a Fitting TLD – There are many top level domain to choose from, but you will likely have more success from SEO standpoint by choosing a .com.

Establish Inbound Links – Inbound links are another part of the SEO process. You certainly want to establish quality links that include your domain.  If your site is devoid of such links, the search engines will conclude that it lacks relative content.  Keep in mind that poor links will negatively effective your optimization efforts.  For this reason, you want to avoid link farms and questionable practices employed by questionable SEO firms.

Choose a Good Domain Name Registrar – The key to obtaining an search engine-friendly domain name is to register the name with a respectable registrar.  There are many registrars on the market but not all can be relied upon.  We recommend sticking with known and trusted brands like GoDaddy and Yahoo or opting for one with your web hosting provider.

Registering a search engine-friendly domain will not guarantee you increased traffic or visibility.  Even SEO itself calls for you to promote your site in traditional ways and most importantly, make sure it contains quality content web surfers will be interested in.   Once you come to realize this, we are confident that these tips will go a long way in helping you achieve the visibility and success you desire online.

Source: http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/09/23/how-search-engine-friendly-is-your-domain-name/

Why a Generic Domain?

When registering a domain name equipped with generic keywords, you stand the chance to rank higher and faster than some of the most well designed and optimized sites.  This is a very crucial aspect of SEO.  Although search engines literally return hundreds to thousands of results, you want to find yourself at the head of the class instead of the last few pages or even somewhere in the middle.  Let’s be honest – how many pages do you sift through when looking for products or services on Google?  Probably not many.  Most web surfers don’t make it past the first two pages.  This means your web pages needed to be listed somewhere in the top 20 in order to be viewed.   One of the best ways to achieve this ranking is with a good, generic domain name.

How it Works

The average search engine is more like an advanced variation of the Yellow Pages.  You can typically find the exact product or service you’re looking for in the phone book underneath a generic name.  On the web, search engines like Yahoo function in a similar manner, delivering search engine results based on sites with URLs and content relevant to what is being requested.  For example, if your business “Computer Company” sells laptop computers, you can dramatically increase search engine traffic by using the generic term “laptop” in your domain name rather than the name of your business.   This simple strategy could put you light years ahead of competitors who focused on the trendier names.

Some organizations pay thousands of dollars on advertising but the internet has evolved tremendously.  With this evolution have come a variety of new ways to attract the increasing number of potential buyers.  There is a lot that goes into site promotion and to be honest, nothing is ever guaranteed.  While investing in quality advertising can prove beneficial, site promotion all starts with choosing a good domain name.  Savvy webmasters and businesses have learned that when it comes to securing their presence and gaining a competitive edge, the generic domain name is one of the best ways to go.

Source: http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/04/29/using-a-generic-domain-for-seo-purposes/Although having a website is easier and more affordable than ever.  However, actually getting your content in front of potential customers is becoming progressively difficult.  This is mainly because so many businesses and industries are being established online.  Regardless of what you specialize in, competition in the market is sure to be heavy.  Unless you have a budget to put forth thousands of dollars on advertising and SEO web design, there is a possibility that your site will just sit collecting dust in cyberspace.  Fortunately, there are numerous strategies that can get you one step closer to the traffic you desire.  Believe it or not, your domain name plays one of the most significant roles in increasing search engine visibility and bringing in quality visitors.  While some tend to go for flash or unique terms, this article will explain why you may want to keep your domain name simple with generic keywords.

Why a Generic Domain?

When registering a domain name equipped with generic keywords, you stand the chance to rank higher and faster than some of the most well designed and optimized sites.  This is a very crucial aspect of SEO.  Although search engines literally return hundreds to thousands of results, you want to find yourself at the head of the class instead of the last few pages or even somewhere in the middle.  Let’s be honest – how many pages do you sift through when looking for products or services on Google?  Probably not many.  Most web surfers don’t make it past the first two pages.  This means your web pages needed to be listed somewhere in the top 20 in order to be viewed.   One of the best ways to achieve this ranking is with a good, generic domain name.

How it Works

The average search engine is more like an advanced variation of the Yellow Pages.  You can typically find the exact product or service you’re looking for in the phone book underneath a generic name.  On the web, search engines like Yahoo function in a similar manner, delivering search engine results based on sites with URLs and content relevant to what is being requested.  For example, if your business “Computer Company” sells laptop computers, you can dramatically increase search engine traffic by using the generic term “laptop” in your domain name rather than the name of your business.   This simple strategy could put you light years ahead of competitors who focused on the trendier names.

Some organizations pay thousands of dollars on advertising but the internet has evolved tremendously.  With this evolution have come a variety of new ways to attract the increasing number of potential buyers.  There is a lot that goes into site promotion and to be honest, nothing is ever guaranteed.  While investing in quality advertising can prove beneficial, site promotion all starts with choosing a good domain name.  Savvy webmasters and businesses have learned that when it comes to securing their presence and gaining a competitive edge, the generic domain name is one of the best ways to go.

Source: http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/04/29/using-a-generic-domain-for-seo-purposes/

Domain and URLs

Before even purchasing a web hosting plan, you probably want to get yourself a domain first.  If you already have a name registered with another host, it shouldn’t be difficult to transfer it over to a new provider.  If not, you can easily register one for about $10 a year.  When it comes to SEO, both your domain and URLs are extremely important.  This is because when the search engine spiders come crawling, they index your pages individually opposed to the website itself.  With most hosting solutions, you have the ability to create custom URLs, so when used in conjunction with your domain name, it makes a great way to increase visibility in the eyes of the search engines.

Search Engine Friendly Features

The features a web hosting provider offers can also benefit your SEO efforts.  Because optimizing for targeted search engine traffic has proven to be effective, many hosts now offer tools that help research and choose the best keywords for your site.  Another great feature is the handy web application.  These utilities give you graphical statistics on your website traffic, showing when visitors came in and where they come from.  They usually show you which search engine spiders visited your site as well.  Then you have companies that offer free search engine submissions, free marketing credits, Google webmaster tools and more.   The average web hosting package is loaded with an arsenal of tools that can aid in SEO.

Finding the Right Solution

Although web hosting plays a major role in SEO, the actual results all depends on the hosting company.  This is why it is so crucial to put an emphasis on quality and reliability rather than the cost of service.  There are many types of hosting out there and finding a cheap solution is easier than ever before.  When looking for a service, you need to keep in mind that you are essentially placing the fate of your search engine rankings in the hands of another company.  This is one relationship where trust is key.  Without doing your research and rushing into a service, you can end up with a solution that does more harm to your visibility than good.  Worst of all, you may not even be aware of it.

You should also be cautious about hosting multiple domains on a single account and server.  While this may seem like a practical and cost effective move, it could also hinder your cause.

It is speculated that search engines view linking from within the same IP address as a move done to generate false link popularity.  In order to get the best results, SEO and web hosting need to work in perfect harmony.

Source: http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/04/17/how-web-hosting-aids-in-seo/You probably know by now that web hosting is a popular service millions of people rely on to create their websites.  These services are used for everything from blogs and personal sites to e-commerce and community sites.  What many people don’t know is the importance of web hosting as it relates to search engine optimization.  You can truly benefit from search engine traffic by leveraging your hosting solution and devising a sound SEO strategy.

Domain and URLs

Before even purchasing a web hosting plan, you probably want to get yourself a domain first.  If you already have a name registered with another host, it shouldn’t be difficult to transfer it over to a new provider.  If not, you can easily register one for about $10 a year.  When it comes to SEO, both your domain and URLs are extremely important.  This is because when the search engine spiders come crawling, they index your pages individually opposed to the website itself.  With most hosting solutions, you have the ability to create custom URLs, so when used in conjunction with your domain name, it makes a great way to increase visibility in the eyes of the search engines.

Search Engine Friendly Features

The features a web hosting provider offers can also benefit your SEO efforts.  Because optimizing for targeted search engine traffic has proven to be effective, many hosts now offer tools that help research and choose the best keywords for your site.  Another great feature is the handy web application.  These utilities give you graphical statistics on your website traffic, showing when visitors came in and where they come from.  They usually show you which search engine spiders visited your site as well.  Then you have companies that offer free search engine submissions, free marketing credits, Google webmaster tools and more.   The average web hosting package is loaded with an arsenal of tools that can aid in SEO.

Finding the Right Solution

Although web hosting plays a major role in SEO, the actual results all depends on the hosting company.  This is why it is so crucial to put an emphasis on quality and reliability rather than the cost of service.  There are many types of hosting out there and finding a cheap solution is easier than ever before.  When looking for a service, you need to keep in mind that you are essentially placing the fate of your search engine rankings in the hands of another company.  This is one relationship where trust is key.  Without doing your research and rushing into a service, you can end up with a solution that does more harm to your visibility than good.  Worst of all, you may not even be aware of it.

You should also be cautious about hosting multiple domains on a single account and server.  While this may seem like a practical and cost effective move, it could also hinder your cause.

It is speculated that search engines view linking from within the same IP address as a move done to generate false link popularity.  In order to get the best results, SEO and web hosting need to work in perfect harmony.

Source: http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/04/17/how-web-hosting-aids-in-seo/

Understanding the Spiders

Search engine spiders or robots, are programs designed to explore the web and visit website pages.  These programs automatically read text and click their way through links to view all the pages on a site.  A search engine spider usually collects information on titles and metadata and then combs the text on the page via its source code.  Most robots function like earlier web browsers, meaning they generally do not absorb frames, Flash content or dynamic scripting, all the more reason to keep your design simple.

Drop-down boxes, web forms and other dynamic creations cannot be comprehended by a search engine spider.  The best way to ensure a visit is to use static pages constructed in HTML.  If a dynamic script such as ASP is required, there are a few ways to keep your pages attractive.  One method is to use the rewrite capabilities of your server to transform complex URLs into simple ones.  If you must use Flash to make your pages more vibrant, use it sparingly rather than building an entire page with it.  Don’t let this technology get in the way of the search engine robots or your visitors.

Building an SEO-friendly site is fairly easy for anyone with minimal development skills.  Your main focus is to eliminate all the flashy content and stick with a simple, solid architecture.  Search engine spiders have no trouble comprehending text and have a thing for text links, more commonly known as anchortext.  When keeping your visitors in mind, the design process gets much easier.  Building for the search engines will increase your visibility on the web and help to bring new prospects in.

The most important you thing need to know about SEO is that search engines are attracted to the text on your website.  The more you stay on topic with a decent amount of relative links and keywords, the better the robots will be able to digest it.  After getting the information, it is delivered to a database and eventually translated into what you get in the search engine results.

Once your site has been designed, be sure to test it out for validation.  Check behind yourself to ensure that no programming errors exist as this will keep your pages from being indexed.  By designing with clean code and quality content, you can increase your chances of ranking higher and generating targeted traffic.

Source: http://webhostinggeeks.com/