SEO & Online Marketing

Archive for the ‘SEO’ Category

A Quick Rant

Posted: January 21st, 2010 Author: Michael Regan Posted in business, SEO | No Comments »

OK – I know the people that should read this won’t but here it is anyway.

We get a LOT of requests for link exchanges. And, even though we don’t currently even have a ‘Link’ page, I do check a lot of them. You never know when something may be of value.

Here are some of the things that will get an email sent to the trash:

Obvious SPAM. If you haven’t gone to the trouble of using my name – it is SPAM.
Putting a note on the bottom of you email that it isn’t SPAM makes it SPAM.
I am a terrible speller – which is why I have spell checker. So, no spelling mistakes.
Don’t lie. The last email said they represented a PR5 website – it wasn’t. (Why lie – do you really think I wouldn’t check.)
Don’t tell me how much exchanging links with you will increase my traffic.

Exchanging links can bring traffic to your site. If you are asking for a link exchange, make sure it will add value to each site. For example, one of our client runs a resort. We regularly link them to local events and tourist attractions. These links benefit both sites.

Don’t exchange links just to get more links. It serves no purpose and sites that might bring you traffic will avoid you.

Google Personalized Search

Posted: December 28th, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in Google, SEM, SEO, SERP | 1 Comment »

No matter what your age, getting presents over the holidays is nice. Google has given the SEO world a a picnic baskets full of gifts (I know – a mixed metaphor.)

The introduction of ‘Personalized Search’ to everyone searching on Google has made a top position on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) hard to to get – but easier to maintain. Personalized search has been available for people logged into their Google account since 2007. This video by Maile Oyhe covers some of the benefits of personalized search.

(more…)

Resource List for Dec 10th Workshop

Posted: December 7th, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in business, Google, marketing, SEO | No Comments »

I will be conducting a workshop on "What Every Business Owner Should Know To Maximize Investment In A Website.". (And, no I didn’t pick the title.) With such a huge topic – I thought I had better write a resource list for the attendees. Then I thought – why not share it with everyone.

It is by no means complete – but it is a start. And, the blogs in particular will lead you to even more information.

(more…)

Website Workshop Scheduled For Biz Owners

Posted: November 25th, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in business, SEO | No Comments »

Courtenay, BC— In the not-so-distant past, a professional business card was the primary first-impression piece—a necessity for a business to look legitimate. Now, it seems a website is the indication of legitimacy, as well as an incredible business tool that makes geography a non-issue.

Since websites open every business to a global marketplace and level the playing field for small businesses and big businesses alike, most business owners are considering or using a website, but often have questions about designing, programming and maintaining a good website to maximize their investments of time and money—to get the most out of their sites.

(more…)

Google – Caffeine and You

Posted: August 17th, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in Google, SEO, SERP, technical, web design | No Comments »

Google recently announced the release of their latest major update – code name ‘Caffeine’. Google has been working on the update for a number of months. The release is currently in a test stage. However, you can expect it to be rolled out across the Google network later this year.
(more…)

Microsoft vs Yahoo vs Google

Posted: August 1st, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in business, commentary, search, SEM, SEO | No Comments »

Those of us ‘of a certain age’ will remember MAD magazines ‘Spy VS Spy’ cartoon feature. (MAD may still be running the cartoon – it has been a LONG time since I bought a copy.) The cartoon features the black and white coloured spies. Inevitably, one or the other would come to some terrible end. During the early 60′s a third character, ‘Lady Grey’, was introduced, ‘Spy VS Spy VS Spy’. Both the black and white spy were in love with her. And, she always got the best of both of them.
(more…)

Personalized Search

Posted: March 31st, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in business, Google, search, SEM, SEO, SERP, web design | No Comments »

A few years ago I saw an article saying Google had applied for a patented on the concept of basing search results on the users response to the items. The particular application quoted in the article was to base future results on how long a user spent on a page before returning the the search engine. Since then Google has refined the technique to what we now see as personalized search.

Personalized search means your search results are based on your past searches. For example if you are trying to determine the position of your website on the search engine results page (SERP) and continually click on the page once you find it, you may see it rise to a higher position. The search engine has learned your preference for that page when used with a specific set of keywords. Now, the SERP you see has no relevance to that seen by other users searching for the same term.

This means that a high SERP position can no longer be used as the ultimate measure of a websites success in bringing traffic to a site. As personalized search becomes more refined the differences between what you see and what your neighbour sees for the same search results will become more varied.

Search engines are already doing a good job of geo-targeting search results. (see Island Pizza Beats Pizza Hut ) So, a search for a plumber here in Comox is not going to give the same results as a search for an plumber in Victoria or even Campblell River.

So, how do you measure the success of a site? Qualified traffic!

Traffic by itself is a rather useless measure of a sites success. Qualified traffic, users that remain on the site, view at least two pages or, better yet, take some action that will lead to a sale, is the only true measurement. of success.

We still need to use the tools to view the SERP position for someone who doesn’t have a history with your page or keywords. And, we still need tools to get the results of searches from different geographical areas. But, these results now have to be viewed through the lens of personalized search.

Are You Protected

Posted: February 24th, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in branding, business, marketing, SEM, SEO | 2 Comments »

Your business name and reputation is your most important asset. Yet many small businesses fail to protect their name.

Online – hijacking a business name can be as simple as filling in a few forms. Most free online directories do liitle or no checking to see if the business name you enter really belong to you. A little SEO and a competitor shows up in searches for your business name. A disgruntled employee, customer or lover can ruin your name with amazing speed.

While you can’t completely stop this form of theft there are some things you can do to slow it down.

Do an online search for you business name on a regular basis
Create accounts with your business name on all the major social networking sites.
Report any site that you believe infringes on you name or trademark

Splish – Splash

Posted: February 17th, 2009 Author: Michael Regan Posted in commentary, marketing, SEO, web design | No Comments »

There was a post in one of the Google groups I belong to about splash pages. The group was for web developers, and the person was asking about integrating a spash page into WordPress.

This was the second time I had come across someone interested in a Splash page in the last two weeks. The first was from a potential customer who wanted us to do some SEO on her Splash page. The rest of the site was Flash and she wanted the Splash page to carry the SEO for the rest of the site. When we couldn’t convince her to redo the site without the Splash page – and the Flash pages as supplements to a regular site, we gently refused the job.

Splash pages were concieved, rather poorly, as an introduction to the main site. Think of your website as a store. Have you ever seen a store with someone guarding the door saying:

“You can’t come inside until I waste your time telling you nothing about our product or what we do. Thank you for listening — you may now enter the store.”

Sounds like something out of a Seinfeld sketch.

Are You Being Served?

Posted: May 1st, 2008 Author: Michael Regan Posted in marketing, SEM, SEO, web design | No Comments »

You may remember the phrase ‘Are You Being Served?’ as the title of an old British comedy series that pops up on the public TV channels. It was a parody of everything that was wrong with British stores in the 50′s and 60′s. However, the phrase itself is still relevant.

The concept of service still gets a lot of lip service. Food stores advertise ‘customer service’ while making us bag our own groceries. Banks tout ‘customer service’ but limit the number of tellers forcing us to do our own banking online, or at an ATM. It may be convenient, but it is not ‘customer service’.

‘Customer service’ means just that — serving the customer. It does not mean forcing the customer to do things the way you want. Every customer is an individual. Customers need to be able to decide how and when they will interact with your company. The customer, not the manager, decides what ‘customer service’ means to them.

How does that apply online?

It means designing a site where information can be easily found; where every page has at least one method on contacting you; and where the customer, not the designer, decides if they want to view a video or flash.

It means testing your site with real people to see how they use the site; having a site that is accessible to customers with screen readers; and being W3C compliant.

Customer service, means what your customers say it means. Open a dialog with your customers. Ask the question – “Are you being served?”

Category

My Blogroll

Archive for the ‘SEO’ Category