Marketing & Advertising :: SEO is Like
If you wish to make complicated concepts easy for you then the best trick is to start with analogies. You should compare that complicated subject matter with other similar subjects that you may have experienced or have fair understanding about. SEO or Search Engine Optimization is known to be a complicated concept even for internet marketers but the most problematic for newbie. If you search for the term “SEO is like” then you can find some interesting articles that will demonstrate some strange thoughts. Here, in this article; all such thoughts have been summarized for you.
Do you know that according to some, SEO is like Poker but how? Well, according to some great authors; SEO has some similar qualities just like poker. Well just start with a simple comparison; poker is a game of cards where you need some winning skills and luck factor to compete against your competitors. Same applies in case of SEO as you need to know certain techniques but besides your skill; luck factor has a great influence on your winning chances.
If you are unable to understand the luck factor in case of SEO, then just realize the introduction of new updates by a Search Engine that may bring you some pleasant results or these may ruin all of your efforts. So, it means that the foundations for both SEO and Poker are same. If you wish to compare the history of poker and SEO then you will even find some common characteristics. History demonstrates that poker was not a respectable game in past. People were not actually aware of poker and it was considered as the illegitimate game.
Same factors apply for SEO as it was considered as a low grade practice. A few people really know the reality about SEO but others only treat it as the profession of manipulators and hackers. But if you start comparing the modern age of SEO and Poker then you will surely conclude that SEO is like poker. The modern age poker represents status, respectable business and legitimate money.
Even modern age SEO is seen as a respectable profession and people highly regard SEO professionals. These professionals are making good money out of this industry by understanding the changing environment. The modern age SEO is the game of complexity as like poker. A professional search engine optimizer needs to be jack of all trades and master of few.
Have you ever observed or played poker in real betting environment? A poker player always looks for a right hand to takeover his/her competitor. Sometimes, he/she will wipe off his/her table and enjoy the win straightforwardly. But in some cases, he/she may slow down to earn high profit.
Same tactics are used by a search engine optimizer as he/she always look for a blend of perfect factors to wipe off competing websites. These factors can range from keywords to content to links. Sometimes, an optimizer will have to compete in an easy environment but in some cases he/she may need to struggle hard. In short, you can list many such factors that are similar in both poker and SEO. You can rightly say that SEO is Like poker.
4 ways to market your business online
Small Business Marketing Is Different From Big Business Marketing by Lynne Saarte
Internet Marketing Plan – InfoBarrel
This article provides a great starting place if Internet marketing and creating an Internet marketing plan is new to you. Online marketing is an essential part of any 21st century marketing mix, so if you aren’t planning already, begin today. Here you’ll find information and a few tips to help begin your journey.
Teach yourself the Internet marketing essentials
Some people think Internet marketing is synonymous with search engine optimization. That is far from the case! Internet marketing contains many things like SEO, content marketing, social media, email marketing, online contests and giveaways, community building and much more. Make sure you take the time to study up on what the basics are, as well as what the trends are moving forward. When you know all of the potential opportunities, you can make a much stronger Internet marketing plan.
Build a realistic Internet marketing strategy
Think of it as defining attainable short-term and long-term goals for your business. What will be your strategy to meet them? How will you position your brand in both messaging and imagery? What is your brand personality that you want to put out there? Define your strategy, and then you can plan out the best Internet marketing tactics (ones that compliment your strategy) far in advance. This doesn’t mean you won’t be flexible! Certainly, you need to be ready to adjust your Internet marketing plan if the need arises, but unless you have a plan formulated, you have nothing to adjust and no forward motion for your business.
Develop a budget and plan of attack for your website build
Websites can be like unplanned home expansions; they can keep going and going costing more money if you don’t put enough time thinking it out before you begin. Act like an architect and map out the structure of your website, especially how different pages work together. Then based off of the size and scope of your website, choose a realistic deadline, date and budget. You’ll be more likely to stick to your Internet marketing plan goals by going this route.
Build daily search engine optimization into your routine
A beginner’s error is thinking that SEO is a ‘one and done’ job. It isn’t. Good SEO takes daily work, including understanding keywords, monitoring your keyword density, researching popular search terms and building links both internally in your site and externally. Plan time every day to look at your SEO. Just choosing a small goal daily can really add up over time.
Develop engaging content and offer needed products
Remember, you are marketing for humans at the end, not search engines. You need to get people to want your product or read your posts. Understand what is important to your target audience and deliver to their needs.
Analyze your Internet marketing plan’s results
All of this hard work is worth nothing if you don’t know how it performed. Luckily, there are a lot of free tools like Google Analytics available that can help you understand whether your work is paying off. Make sure you build these tools into your website and emails from the very beginning.
Don’t be afraid to change directions
If after analyzing your work, you find that it’s been ineffective, change it! That is the beauty of the Internet, it is flexible and simple to turn on a dime compared to other media. Make sure you update your marketing plan in the process!
When starting out, Internet marketing can be daunting, but with a little effort you can succeed! Start with these tips to give yourself a good foundation and then build from there. You’ll soon have a strong Internet marketing plan to follow.
What Meta Tags Are & How to Optimize Metadata for SEO
The use of metadata by search engines, including meta keywords, has changed extensively throughout the years.
While many of the rules regarding metadata remain the same, it is now an area of lesser importance when it comes to SEO. That said, meta tag optimization is still an important aspect of search engine optimization, so it is important to employ many of these so-called “deprecated” techniques to ensure high SERP rankings
Following these rules pertaining to metadata can help ensure a site’s high ranking in search results. While Google does not use metadata for site rankings, there still are search engines that do. A variety of websites and syndication services also rely on meta data. Furthermore, Google even pulls your site’s description from your meta data for use in the SERPs.
While meta tag optimization is still useful, it’s important to note that there is no reason to stress out over meta data. This article is meant to serve as an informational piece on how meta data is used today as well as noting its much greater historical importance. Feel free to comment, however, on your thoughts and feelings (particularly on the modern usage of meta tags and meta data in SEO.)
What is Meta Data? What are Meta Tags?
Meta data provides information about a site. This information gives search engines clues regarding what a site is about. Since metadata is hidden away in a site’s markup, visitors can’t see it, but search engines can. There are several types of metadata, but we’re going to talk about the three most important parts that make up meta tag optimization: meta keywords, meta descriptions, and the robot tag.
Meta descriptions are actually one of the few things that visitors will see, but they won’t see it on your site. Here is an example:
Bob has a site about sports cars and in his meta description, he has written, “The ultimate guide to European and American sport cars.”
When someone searches in Google with the term “sports cars,” Bob’s site may show up in the results. If it does, the listing will show his meta description. In short, meta descriptions tell people what a site is about before they even visit it.
What Do Meta Keywords Do?
Meta keywords work very similar to meta descriptions, but instead of telling Internet users what a site is about, it tells the search engine. Here is an example:
Lisa’s site is about Georgia peaches. In her meta keywords, she has written, “Georgia peaches, peaches from Georgia, peach orchards” By writing these keywords, Lisa is telling search engines that her site is about Georgia peaches, peaches from Georgia, and peach orchards. Annette searches in a search engine for the term “peaches from Georgia.” Since Lisa’s site has this phrase in its meta keywords, the search engine may show Lisa’s website to Annette in the search listings.
Marketing & Advertising :: Attract and Engage Potential Customers and Clients with Expert Articles
In any business, no matter what field or industry, it is important for that business to portray a level of expertise to gain the trust of new potential customers. A company or person in business needs to develop specific materials to show they have a high level of knowledge in their particular field. After all, if you are in need of a service or a product, wouldn’t it make sense to you to turn to someone who has expert knowledge in that area?
But how does a business show their expertise without over doing it and seeming pushy? How do you make sure that your expertise is being displayed in a way your customers (more importantly potential customers) are likely to find useful?
In this blog post there are a couple of the steps that HB Consulting uses when working with a new company or individual to showcase their industry expertise, and in turn, convey their knowledge to potential customers.
Step 1. Identify areas of interest the common consumer has in your industry.
“Common consumer” is in bold for a reason here. Think outside the technical aspects that you, the expert, would be interested in and focus more on the usable knowledge that your potential customers need. Regular people are on the internet looking for information and products that make their lives easier, not technical jargon that will confuse and frustrate them.
For example, imagine an accountant that decides to keep a blog to stay engaged with his clients and show his expertise to attract new ones. A new law has been put in place to change tax codes that will affect small businesses in the state that accountant practices in. The accountant, the expert in this example, is personally interested in what prompted law makers to amend the current tax codes. They research the code change and then feel compelled to share some of their new found knowledge with followers of their blog. This might interest some of their readers, but for the majority of internet searchers trying to find information on how the code change will affect them and their businesses, the accountant’s new blog entry is of little significance.
In this example the common consumer’s area of interest is in the effects of the law and not the reasons for the changes in the law. The accountant missed the opportunity to showcase their expertise on their reader’s issues by focusing their blog entry on the law itself and not on practical information that will directly affect their readers. Understanding exactly what motivates someone to search for information in your field is critical to expressing your expertise in a way that is applicable to potential customers.
Step 2. Use frequently asked questions to showcase your expertise.
In every business day there are interactions with clients and customers that are great learning opportunities. When current customers or clients ask questions they are helping the expert to understand what knowledge the common consumer is interested in learning from them. The expert should record several of their most frequently asked questions. They should then use these reoccurring topics to help them develop materials that will give readers what they are looking for. Presenting the knowledge that the common consumer is looking for will ultimately develop the expertise in any field.
When developing expertise, be sure your focus is on developing materials that will engage potential clients and customers not other experts in your field. Often times business owners get caught up writing articles that would interest others in their field but don’t necessarily help the common consumer to make a decision on whose product or service to purchase. Engaging potential consumers with information they are looking for will no doubt contribute to developing your reputation as an expert, and in turn increase your business.
5 Social Networking Sites for Tourism Businesses
Social networking Web sites have gone mainstream and a variety of companies ranging from resorts to apparel are utilizing this no- to low-cost marketing tool. Why social media? According to Forrester Research, the use of social networking by those aged 35 to 54 has grown 60% in the last year (Source: Groundswell, “Social Technology Growth Marches on in 2009, Led by Social Network Sites,” by Josh Bernoff, August 25, 2009) and in many cases this is the age-range tourism businesses are targeting.
Tourism businesses including hotels, attractions, restaurants, and destinations not already utilizing social media should get into the social networking game with a strategy as soon as possible. This strategy should include participation in five primary sites: TripAdvisor, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.
Why Should Tourism Businesses Utilize TripAdvisor?
The world’s largest travel community attracts more than 36 million visitors monthly (Source: TripAdvisor.com, July 2009). One of the activities community members can do is post reviews about hotels, attractions, and restaurants. This allows businesses to monitor what is being said to strengthen weaknesses and maintain and improve what visitors like. TripAdvisor allows businesses to reply to comments through the Management Response feature. Doing this fosters social media transparency and is ethical as compared to impersonating a visitor and posting a positive comment. TripAdvisor does not tolerate that type of behavior.
Why Should Tourism Businesses Utilize Facebook?
As of October 2009, Facebook estimates having more than 300 million active users and half of those users log onto the social networking site a day. Those 35 years-old and older are the fastest growing demographic and more than 10 million users become fans of Pages on a daily basis. (Source: Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistic, October 20, 2009.)
Creating a Facebook Fan Page allows hotels, attractions, destinations and other tourism businesses to create photo and video galleries, post events and notes of interest, interact with past and potential visitors, and fosters interaction with fans. Everyone loves sharing about their vacation and when past visitors post positive photos and comments, it is a genuine third-party endorsement which may encourage others to visit.
Why Should Tourism Businesses Utilize Twitter?
The microblogging site asks “What are you doing?” in 140 characters or less and as of October 2009 has seen 200% growth of new users over 2008 (Source: Quantcast.com/twitter). Twitter allows tourism businesses to test ideas, interact in a casual and fun manner through avenues such as contests and offering coupons (for example, through twtQpon.com) and push information out such as media releases, events, and photos. Twitter is also a marketing tool to listen to what the customer is saying and provides an opportunity to immediately react.
Why Should Tourism Businesses Utilize YouTube?
YouTube is not the only video-sharing Web site on the Internet but it receives the most visitors. According to a March 4, 2009, press release issued by Comscore.com, YouTube surpassed 100 million viewers for the month of January 2009 (Source: Comscore.com, “YouTube Surpasses 100 Million U.S. Viewers for the First Time”, March 4, 2009). Tourism businesses can upload professionally produced videos or user-generated content created with simple camcorders such as the Flip video camera to share with potential visitors.
Why Should Tourism Businesses Utilize Flickr?
The photo-sharing site allows tourism businesses to create groups which can be used for contests, testing new creative ideas, and building an image bank. When uploading images it is important to add tags and utilize the geotagging option which shows images on the public Flickr map. A dynamic image may intrigue a potential visitor to plan a vacation so it is important the image has an appropriate description so said visitor can find the business.
Additional Social Networking Tips for Tourism Businesses
Fully complete profile information including Web site address, description, and tags in order to drive traffic to a specific site and to rank high in search engine results.
Tourism business owners should register for Google Alerts in order to monitor what blogs and media outlets are saying about them.
There are hundreds of social networking sites tourism businesses can engage but when just beginning, TripAdvisor, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr are excellent starting sites.You might also like…
Social Networking and Your Professional Future
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http://suite101.com/5-social-networking-sites-for-tourism-businesses-a174939
SEO Lessons for 2014
Search Engine Optimization :: SEO Friendly Website with PSD to WordPress Theme Conversion
The online world has turned into a highly competitive arena. A lot of corporate houses with their websites are aggressively vying for user’s attention. Given the present highly competitive and tumultuous online scenario, merely possessing a website is not enough.
Search engine optimization is highly crucial for the success of your website in the long run. It primarily lays emphasis on improving the search engine results of your website whenever a related query is typed in the search box. SEO will accredit your website to appear early on the search engine results. Early, the appearance of your website, the more traffic it will receive and hence more will be the possibilities of successful trade and commerce. PSD to WordPress conversion helps you achieve search engine friendly website.
WordPress is an award winning open source blogging tool and publishing platform, which when smartly used, can be easily used to customize to create a functional website. Besides many user friendly features, with wordpress you also receive an in-built SEO advantage. WordPress comes with several built in search optimization tools, like the ability to use .htaccess to create apparently static URLs known as Permalinks, Blog Rolling, and Pinging. WordPress features and functions intelligently guides’ search engines through your web pages and helps it easily crawl the same, hence improving the search engine results.
WordPress offers its users an exhaustive set of themes to choose from. Theme represents the overall design and visual appeal of the website. But there are a number of websites flourishing in the virtual world who are already using those themes. If you wish to stand apart and mark your unique presence online, you need a customized PSD to WordPress theme conversion. A professional wordpress developer provides you with a customized tailor-made web solution. Though the customization services lead to compromise some of the in-built SEO friendly attributes and may require certain changes during the coding stages of the website, to foster SEO.
Professional wordpress developers will include the SEO friendly attributes from the designing stages itself. This includes enriching the content with proper key words, tactfully defining the tags and URL’s and intelligently including a substantial amount of key words in the title tags, image links, etc.
Thus opt for PSD to WordPress theme conversion and reap the benefits of a highly SEO friendly website.
The Spicy Side Of Business Marketing 