It’s not everyday your client sends out a press release praising your work. So I thought I’d share: RE/MAX of New Jersey Tops Search Results for NJ Real Estate.
Thank you RE/MAX of New Jersey and everyone we work with at OrangeSoda. Hope everyone is full of gratitude along with all of the turkey tomorrow!
Forget all of the marketing advice you’ve heard about how you have to be on social networks! While they are important ways to build relationships online, you must not forget the basics!
The number one complaint I hear from small business owners is that they feel overwhelmed by social media. They are trying to learn Twitter, Facebook, and other sites. They want to know if they should be on all or just one of these sites.
However, most of the local businesses web sites I’ve seen tell another story. I look at their title tags, the information and keywords on their site, the number of links they have, their anchor text. It’s clear that they need to focus on the basics.
Social media can be an overnight success (like the Will it Blend campaign) but it’s incredibly time consuming to do well (and/or expensive). It’s usually the icing on the cake, not the cake itself.
With billions of web sites and more added every second, how will your customers find your site? Where does your web site come up when people type in words relating to your product or service? Your customers are going to a search engine, typing in words, and clicking on one of the first ten results that come up. If you’re not there, they’ll find your competitor.
People don’t necessarily know the name of a business and it’s easy to rank for your brand names (or it should be or usually is). Instead, they type in words like “Salt Lake City Internet Marketing company” or “blog designer, Seattle WA” or “Keizer OR laser hair removal”.
Ways people find local businesses online:
According to a survey from Comscore and TMP Directional Marketing, found at http://www.tmpdm.com/ourwork/whitepapers.asp, this is how people find local businesses online:
Tips: Start with search engine optimization so when people are searching for a product or service that you sell, your business comes up high in the search results. Focus on local markets that you service where there is less competition. This is OrangeSoda’s specialty.
Be sure your web site gives the details people often look for… “details such as the business name, phone number, address, hours of operation, specials, promotions, products carried, payment types accepted etc.” Be sure the basic details are on every page “above the fold.”
OrangeSoda, which provides SEO and PPC services, was recently recognized as an “Emerging Elite” Company in Utah by Mountain West Capital Network. We got there by showing significant promise for future success. As you’ll see by the list of the other winners, we’re in good company!
OrangeSoda was one of 13 emerging Utah companies to receive recognition by MWCN. I went through the list to see if I could quickly determine what the other companies do:
The BIG G search engine has some advice for people who want to hire an SEO company. They won’t recommend specific companies, but tell you what to watch out for.
There are a few warning signs of a disreputable SEO company:
And here is the best tip: NO ONE can GUARANTEE a #1 ranking on Google.
“Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a “special relationship” with Google, or advertise a “priority submit” to Google. There is no priority submit for Google. In fact, the only way to submit a site to Google directly is through our Add URL page or by submitting a Sitemap and you can do this yourself at no cost whatsoever.”
It may be that a sales person has no idea what they are selling and they don’t tell you how SEO is done because they don’t know. However, the people actually doing the work may be stellar. Ask questions.
Here are my tips for finding an SEO company:
What is a Google profile? Check out mine. Google profiles are simple webpages where you can put general information about yourself.
But there’s more. You can also include links, and that is where the SEO power is! Below the main area is a place to put as many links as you want. Your Delicious page, your Facebook profile, your blog, your LinkedIn profile, your Twitter feed….and on and on.
Profiles are public and include your actual name and/or a nickname. You can set it so your real name is displayed just to your contacts. You can list your occupation, where you are located (your profile will be used for Google Maps), a list of links, your photo and a short introduction.
As far as links: you can put whatever text you want to become a link back to your web site (or any other site). So, if your site sells “sunglasses” and one of your keywords is “fashion sunglasses” then use those words for the link. You can even link to sections of your site (like a brand name of specific fashion sunglasses) and then link to that category page.
Go here to create your own profile. Your profile will come in handy in the future as Big G integrates it’s profile system with other social networks, etc.
What to Expect from SEO Campaigns
Guest post by Luis Bonilla
Understanding what to expect from a solid SEO campaign can be a bit perplexing at first, especially if you use the Internet solely to check your email or find out the weather. But, no need to fret as you can grasp the basics of successful SEO by applying an extended metaphor: SEO is like personal fitness.
No, I don’t mean that you’ll have to sweat for two hours each day or needlessly grunt as you curl dumbbells. What I’m saying is that SEO, like getting your body into shape, is a process.
SEO – Not an Overnight Fix
Just like losing a few pounds, SEO is not an overnight fix. You will have to cultivate a desire, devise a plan, and execute the necessary steps towards accomplishing your goals. Depending on how high you want your website to rank for your keyword—or how much weight you would like to lose—it will take dedication, a strict regimen, and an indefinite amount of time.
Every Website is Different
Similar to how every person’s body is different (i.e., metabolism, strength, current health, etc.), every website is different. Some want to rank for a local keyword such as ‘work boots in El Paso, Texas”; others would like to rank for more broad or popular nationwide terms like ‘Harley Davidson motorcycles’.
Every website starts out at a different level of optimization, and thus, needs different SEO strategies. Just because Suzy can eat hamburgers and French fries every day and not gain weight doesn’t mean you can apply that diet and avoid obesity too.
Likewise, implementing SEO techniques will have varying degrees of success depending on your goals. Some individuals would like to just tone up and shed a quick five pounds (or just have search engines realize your website exists).
Others would like to not only burn off 15 pounds, but add muscle and develop cardiovascular endurance (or rank in the top three spots on “the unnamed top search engine,” Yahoo!, and MSN Live). Reaching your personal end-all goal hinges upon how you perform on your journey.
Keeping the extended comparison of SEO and personal fitness in mind, consider these concepts:
This is by no means an all-encompassing guide. Hopefully it will inspire less knee-jerk decisions in pulling the plug on a well thought-out SEO campaign.
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