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Keeping Your Web Designs Simple, Focused And Effective
Posted by: Chris Stout | 2008-05-30 15:08:11 | Posted in: SEO Info
If your website design looks like a 14-year old's MySpace page, you're gonna run into some trouble. Too often, online businesses will try to go over the top with backgrounds, graphics, splash pages and overly-designed sites. If you want your website to be effective, you gotta keep it simple.
Start With An Optimized Site Architecture
Before you start putting together a flashy design for your site, start with the fundamentals. Create a site architecture that allows you to optimize for specific keyword phrases. Your goal should always be to help users (and search engine spiders) track down relevant information in the clearest possible way.
Organize your top-level navigation bar with tabs that point to your most important content pages. Incorporate a left navigation that helps users find what they are looking for quickly. Once you've established a solid website architectural foundation, you can start sprucing up your design.
Flashy Splash Pages Do Nothing For SEO
If you've created an entire flash-based site or an intro splash page that animates images and text into a crazy multimedia presentation, you may be losing valuable opportunities to optimize your site properly. A little bit of flash design doesn't hurt, but if all of your content appears in an image-heavy flash presentation, your content won't get properly indexed by the search engine spiders. Your keyword-rich text will be lost if it appears as a flash image. An all-flash site won't have an optimized URL structure and you'll lose valuable interlinking opportunities. When it comes to using flash on your website, keep it simple and remember, less is always more.
Let The Content Speak For Itself
We live in world full of multimedia-rich outlets, but throwing up tons of graphics and images can detract from the real meat of your site -- the content. Your multimedia design elements should supplement your content, not vice versa. Well-written content that offers users the information they're searching for will always win out over flamboyant images and graphics.
So before you try to make your site look like an explosion of pictures, moving images, graphics and flash presentations, remember the basics. Create keyword-rich content that helps people and couch this content in a visually appealing, but not overly distracting design. Simplify the content finding process, and you'll get love from users and search engines alike.
I was contemplating a ham sandwich the other day and was reminded of the Internet. What does a ham sandwich have to do with the Internet, you ask? The answer is simple. Whether it’s a sandwich or a web page, it may look like what you want on the outside, but what’s inside is not necessarily for everybody.
Keywords Are Key
When writing a blog post or an article for the Internet, keep in mind your audience. Keywords are a double-edged sword. The more of a certain word or phrase that you put in your article, the more people who are interested in that particular thing you are going to attract to your site. There’s a school of thought that says any traffic is good traffic. On some level that’s true, but you shouldn’t post about Nazis on your corporate blog too many times unless you’re prepared to have a lot of German history buffs visiting your site.
Traffic Begets Traffic
Not that there’s anything wrong with German history buffs. But if you get a reputation for drawing individuals and groups to a site that isn’t really relevant to them, it won’t be good for business. If a site provides useful, relevant information related to their keywords, word will get around.
The Internet is smaller than you think. Traffic begets traffic.
If someone hits up their search engine looking for ideas about getting good traffic to their site and they find this blog post, they’ll be happy. They’ll remember CKMG and want to come back here, where they’ll learn even more techniques for optimizing their relationship with search engines that will make them even happier. On the other hand, if WW2Expert55 and his pals keep getting directed to a marketing strategies corporate site, they might spread the word and get that site known as a spam site or black hat site and then nobody’s happy.
And isn’t the whole point of the Internet to make more people happy?
About Us -- A Must For Your Website
Posted by: Keion Moradi | 2008-05-28 14:01:57 | Posted in: SEO Info
When it comes to Website development, creating an "About Us" section might be among the last things on your to-do list. Just don't skip it. Your "About Us" section should include pertinent information about the background of your company and concept, in addition to personal profile pages for you and your staff.
Company Background
Remember to include details about your company. Identify relevant details about your concept, goals and important successful milestones. What important steps went into conceptualizing your company? What is your mission? What sets you above the competition?
Writing Personal Profile Pages For Your Website
Potential clients want to know something about the people with whom they are about to do business. Illuminate your education and professional experience in the field, as well as what makes you a trusted expert. Consider this your opportunity to brag.
It doesn't hurt to add a human touch when creating your personal profile pages. People want to connect with a personality. Blend the professional aspects of your bio with a few tidbits that people can relate to, such as hobbies, interests and dislikes. Keep it small and tasteful, focusing on professional attributes, adding in a little color.
Bad Freelance Writing Gig To Avoid
Posted by: Morgan Greenhalgh | 2008-05-28 09:17:52 | Posted in: SEO Info
When copywriting is your profession, it can be exciting, exhilarating and frightening -- especially if you're doing it freelance. There's usually a little unease when you do freelance work, "Will my new clients pay me," "What are the rates," "Am I going to have to fight to get my money?" Questions like these are completely valid and warranted.
Here at CKMG, we pride ourselves on paying competitive wages to our writers and know that they are an important component in our business. Without our quality writers, we'd struggle to stay as successful as we are.
However, there are companies and people out there who might try to take advantage of you as a freelance copywriter. For example, there is currently someone hiring writers under the email, "ContentKings2008@yahoo.co.uk," but they do not pay their writers for their efforts. This concerns us for two reasons:
- Obviously, they know a good thing when they see it (our name), so they'll liberally "borrow" from it -- even though this is not our UK branch hiring.
- When you don't charge writers for their efforts, it leads to mistrust, which hurts everyone (future freelance employers and freelancers).
If anyone out there comes across anything like this, let us know about it and we'll write a post about it letting freelancers know troublesome companies to avoid.
Thanks to Hillary for the tip!
Getting the Most Out of Your Images
Posted by: Marco Del Rio | 2008-05-27 17:44:18 | Posted in: SEO Info
How you title your images plays a large part in the image's SEO value, but using a relevant title is not the only extent of optimization. To optimize your image for search engines fully, you should utilize all image tags with relevant keywords and information.
Within the image, you can also define the "ALT" tag (which is an image description that appears while the image is loading or disabled), the "TITLE" tag (which defines a title that appears in front of the image as the mouse rolls over it), and the "LONGDESC" tag (references another file in which a longer description of the image is published).
When using "ALT" tags, it's important not to include too many words within the quotation marks. Browser spiders may ignore an excessive amount of "ALT" keywords. Also, browsers like Google have found ways to combat this and treat such strategies as 'spamming their bots'.
Outside of titles and tags, folders also play a role in the optimization of images. Folder titles are analyzed alongside image titles and making sure the two have related names is another key to optimization.
When you keep these few things in mind, your images will help in your SEO website design efforts.
Improve Click Through Rates, Defeat Nazis And Win Wars With Great Titles
Posted by: Morgan Greenhalgh | 2008-05-27 10:17:28 | Posted in: SEO Info
So, you've tirelessly worked on writing the best article there is on underwater basket weaving have you? You've researched, slaved, struggled and finally churned out a masterpiece. Oh yes, the magnificence of your article is impressive and inspiring to all who read it -- all three of them.
Where are you dropping the ball? What's the hang up? You have great subheads, your keyword density is good but you just aren't getting people reading your post. What gives?
Kick Krauts In The Keester And Kick Your Titles Up A Notch
Here's your problem with that article: the title. "A Retrospective on Underwater Basket Weaving: Early Years through Present Day Techniques." Oh yes, that's a real barnburner there. Just try to stop me from reading it. Oh wait, it's boring as sin. The problem with this title is that it doesn't give me any reason to read it. It doesn't pull me in.
You need to stick it to your title like Indiana Jones, Captain America or any of a million others gave it to the Nazis in WWII. Don't let them try to dominate your piece, kick it in the tail and make it work.
Try something a little fun -- don't be afraid to play with your titles. You don't need to stick whatever pops first into your head on the top of your hard work. What about "How Underwater Basket Weaving Helped Colonize America" or "Defend the Universe with Underwater Basket Weaving?"
Make Your Titles Pull People In
Here's the purpose of the title of your article: to get people to read what you've written. Seriously, that's it. That's its whole purpose in life. Your title isn't supposed to tell people everything that's in your article. It's not meant to entice a niche market. It's meant to pull in as many people as possible.
However, there is a line you can cross. You can go too far. Don't try to be too cute with your titles, don’t try to pull people in with something that doesn't even relate to what you're saying because then people will get annoyed and never read you again. Now go forth and write some mean, enticing and engaging titles!
Understanding the Youth of Tomorrow, Today
Posted by: Chris Stout | 2008-05-23 15:18:56 | Posted in: SEO Info
This week I watched an interesting Frontline documentary on PPS called Growing Up Online. The program examined the many ways in which the Internet has fundamentally changed how kids grow up these days. This program really got me thinking about how the latest generation of young'uns really don't remember what the world was like in the days before the web.
Hey Kids -- Remember When There Was No Net? The Youth Of America's Answer: No
Back when I was a kid, there was no Internet. My fourth grade classroom had one spinach-green Apple computer, and it was primarily used to play The Oregon Trail (remember -- you had to survive as family and adjust your pioneering strategy when Keion broke her arm or Craig came down with Cholera). Even during my high school years, the Internet was just barely coming into its own as the ubiquitous, omnipresent, everyday life-tool that it is today.
For kids growing up today, the Net is an afterthought. It's like television or automobiles -- the Internet just doesn't seem all that innovative cuz it's everywhere. Kids who grew up with the Net as infants have formed drastically different methods of socializing, learning and having fun.
The Biggest Generation Gap Of All Time
The Frontline documentary made the point that the advent of the Internet has created the biggest generation gap of all time. With the development of online gaming, social networking sites and answers to every question available at the click of a button, today's young'uns have developed attention spans that are way shorter than Matty.
So what does all this mean? We all know that things change, people change, hairstyles change and interest rates fluctuate. Why is it so important to take note of the fact that the youth of America is developing in a brave new world?
Look, technology will continue to advance -- this is no secret. But it's essential that those of us who remember the days before the Net keep pace with the new values, identities and methods of interactivity that are being carved out of the 21st Century virtual landscape. We have to follow the development of this new generation of Internet users, because they are actively shaping the future of the web.
So make every effort to bridge the generation gap. Try to understand that the kids of today have already developed in a world that's radically different from the one inhabited by the kids who grew up in the 80s and 90s.
If you want to understand how web consumers of the future will act, you have to appreciate just how unique this latest generation of kids really is.
Unfortunately I had to attend my Aunt’s funeral on Tuesday. While this was a difficult time for my family, it also provided some reflection time which I think is much-needed for all of us amidst the hustle and bustle of our daily lives.
613
During the Minyan, a traditional Jewish prayer service held at the home of the mourners, the Rabbi gave a brief speech in which he talked about the 613 “mitzvot,” or good deeds, that are part of the Jewish faith. “Why so many? No one could possibly do all 613,” he asked.
One a Day
The reason, he explained, was not so that one person could do all of them, but so that everyone could do at least one. The idea was that anyone who made any effort to be a good person couldn’t help but do at least one good deed, and that knowing that one can be a good person so easily inspires more good people doing more good deeds every day.
Using the Internet for Good
The Internet provides a similar opportunity. With all the functions and possibilities that the Internet allows, one only has to want to use it for something good to make that happen every day. Whether it’s sending an e-mail to a good friend you haven’t had contact with in awhile, ordering flowers for one's mother or circulating a petition to help protect the environment, the Internet can be an unending source of good for society if we just let it.
What will your e-Mitzvah be today?
Link Building As Successful Networking For Your Blog
Posted by: Keion Moradi | 2008-05-21 23:56:42 | Posted in: SEM Info
The importance of powerful blog content is a well-understood concept. The purpose is, of course, to attract visitors to your Web site with compelling subject matter and keep them coming back for more.
However, you may be familiar another strategy for driving traffic to your blog -- link building. Often overlooked by many bloggers, effective link building not only increases your page rank, but also targets a wider audience through social networking.
When it comes to link building, you want to adopt a handful of different strategies. A popular method involves networking and building relationships with other blogs. Check out some important guidelines before getting started.
Network and Build Relationships With Related Blogs
This is all about good blog management. Daily visits to related blogs help you become acquainted with the topics typically covered by the blogger. You can use the information to enhance your own blog, whether by covering uncharted territory, offering a unique twist on similar topics or both. Whatever the approach, this can create an opportunity to establish partnerships down the road.
Leave Relevant Blog Comments -- Don't Forget To Add Your Link
Avoid dropping unrelated, empty comments. I'm sure you've encountered them before. Something along the lines of: "Hello, this blog is very enjoyable and I very much look forward to more posts from you. I will now subscribe to your RSS feed." Beyond the fact that this comment appears to be written in broken English, there's no substance outside of an arbitrary, "thumbs up pal." Comments such as these may be easy to deliver, but they fail to draw attention to the link you leave behind.
Frequent Participation Is Key To Building Links And Networking With Other Bloggers
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