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  • TIP – In Website Promotion Every Page Is An Island

    How do you plan to be found? If your business were on a deserted farm road in the middle of nowhere, how would you be found? Chances are, you wouldn’t be.

    Your web site and the pages within are the same way. Just because you’ve published a web site doesn’t mean it will get found. And even if it has been, just because you have a page on your site doesn’t mean it will be too.

    This is why it’s so important to have links, coming into your site and between the pages on your site. If you have a page to which nothing links, there is no way for the search engines to find it!

    If you have a page which has important information about your business, make sure you have links pointing to it. If it’s really important, it should be linked from every page. This helps the search engines know how important it is.

  • TIP – Search Engines Only Read Text

    A big part of the way a search engine decides how to give you a good response is by looking at how closely what you type in to their search box matches the words they have in their database of web sites.

    For this reason, it’s critically important you use enough text on the page to assure your web site is seen as a reasonable match to those phrases people really type. And of course, it’s not just as simple as creating compelling copy on the page, you have to also be sure that when you describe items in the code of your pages such as links to other pages and images that they too have text versions for the search engines to adequately understand what they mean.

    Finally, order matters. You may have noticed that many web sites have their navigation (inter-site links) either across the top of the page or down the left hand navigation. In early usability testing it was found that users responded better given our predilection to reading from top to bottom, left to right. Interestingly, this is what the search engines do too.

    This is one of many places where human usability and search engine read-ability don’t usually coincide.

    The problem for the search engines is this: if you have your left and top navigation loaded with non-descriptive navigational elements, this is what they will think you’re about. So instead of thinking you’re about “better ingredients, better pizza” a search engine might misunderstand and think you’re about “corporate guidelines” or “job search”.

    It’s a challenge, but whenever you can, make sure that your navigational elements reinforce your key phrase focus. If they don’t, put them on the far side of the text either right or bottom.

  • TIP – Key phrases ARE search

    Perhaps THE most important part of any search engine marketing campaign is key phrase selection. You can have the most optimized, organized, accessible web site on the planet, but unless you can be found for the key phrases for which people are searching you’re out of luck.

    In my opinion, for small and medium businesses the best way to develop key phrases for your web site is by brainstorming with your staff and customers – particularly those staff who are in direct contact with customers. Unless you know what language your customers use when talking about what you do you won’t be able to effectively get found.

    You will need to be particularly careful if you are in a more “technical” field – the chances are your description and your customers’ are not the same.

    There are a few very good keyword research tools available, and I’m personally a big fan of Keyword Discovery from Trellian.

    One good quick tool you can use to see whether a phrase is being searched for is the Yahoo Search Marketing search term suggestion tool:

    http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/

    When you’re doing your keyword brainstorming be sure to do the occasional reality check – “blue boxer briefs” may perfectly describe what you’re selling, but may not be for what people are searching.

    Once you have a good idea of how customers might find you and whether or not there’s any search traffic for those phrases you’ve chosen you’re on the road to getting found.

    If you want to go to the next level in this analysis, take these phrases you’ve found and search for them in Google. If you want an accurate count of exact matches put your search phrase in quotes.

    http://www.google.com/search?q=%22800+number+directory%22

    Using the number of searches from Yahoo, and the number of matches (occurrences) in Google, you can get a quick sense of how many people are searching for your phrases and how many other businesses might be talking about them.

  • TIP – Don’t Slow Down the Spiders

    In addition to being text deficient, a web site that relies too heavily on images or flash has another very serious problem to overcome.

    There are billions of web sites on the Internet and the search engine spiders (the pieces of software that crawl the web in search of new information) only have so much time to spare.

    In short, if your web site loads slowly when you are looking at it in a web browser, it probably loads that way for the search engine spiders. This means that in a world of limited resources you’ve used up much of yours before they even get to the important stuff your text-based content.

  • Website Promotion Blogging

    I just claimed this blog on Technorati.

    I must say, the more I learn about the ways in which a blog can interact with blog search engines the more I’m convinced of the value of blogging for website promotion.

    I was shocked when I discovered that Alexa attributes 12% of the traffic for Search Influence (revenue generating website) to this here blog.

    Interesting indeed. Standby for more.

    Update: 200609042037 (that’s 9/4/2006 8:37 PM)

    I’m a stats and log file fanatic – I spend way too much time looking at our clients’ and my own sites’ web stats. My point above, on the power of this channel (blogging), is proven by this: earlier today, someone visited having just searched Blogger search for “Promotion”.

    You like apples?

    (re-posted after server crash)

  • Website Promotion Through Link Bait

    Link Bait is such a fun phrase which really means: creating compelling content in the hope that people will link to it.

    We created for Search Influence a very simple search engine ranking analysis tool . It’s simple, but covers the basics. Our contention is that many of the techniques and tools used by top SEOs aren’t really applicable for small business (unless the small business has lots of time and/or budget).

    There’s a great post analyzing the ROI of link baiting over at SEO Book.

    My question is, how do you achieve similar ROI given less traffic.

    Clearly, we don’t have the readership of SEO Book or the Link Building Blog and therefore don’t have nearly the number if inbound links to our little bit of bait (and then of course it might have something to do with not having really publicized it either).

    Maybe if you combine the advice here with the advice over here it presents a good strategy for a link bait kick-starter.

  • Website Promotion is Good PR

    So, we’ve established that website promotion is not voodoo, right?

    I’ve always been a big fan of killing two birds with one stone (metaphorically of course), and realize that sometimes we can all get a little bit of tunnel vision around one issue or pursuit. Web site promotion is a good example of this.

    I have some colleauges who have much more experience than I in promoting web sites and they tend to look at the tools of promotion in a very single minded way – write content to attract engines to increase ranking. Increased search engine rankings = website revenue.

    Let’s stipulate that this is true: If you have created a revenue generating website then increased rankings should equal greater revenue. But, what if you could have it all?

    And, what do I mean by have it all?

    Ok, content is good. Content attracts search engines. Search engines drive traffic. Traffic = revenue. The problem for me comes when that content adds no value to the user. What if, instead of counting on a one-time click-through you were building a relationship. If more people thought of website promotion as a public relations exercise then they’d be more likely to write good content which people would be happy to read more than once, recommend and which would keep them coming back for more.

    And of course, the same goes for off-site content. What if that press release or article you’ve published in the syndication services was actually worthy of publication regardless of it’s link-popularity benefit? Then you’d be engaged in public relations along with website promotion and you might be building a long-term customer (reader, client, whatever) rather than a click monkey.

    I think too often we get caught up in the mission of the moment, and even those among us who realize that there is PR value can get lost in the need for ranking. The best PR you can develop is by providing something of value. There are lots of good examples, but here’s one at the top of my mind – Web 2.0 Awards .

  • Small Business Expert Website Promotion – You’re the Expert

    I take part in a few online forums and I think they offer a great place to learn and interact with others in the community.

    Just today I picked up on a thread which offered some great advice for small businesses in regard to more traditional marketing I’m re-posting my contribution because I think it offers some more good advice from our portfolio of website revenue building techniques. We believe in the value of articles to both prove the value of your service and, to generate quality inbound links and pass-through traffic.

    Ultimately, there’s no greater expert in your business than you.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by johnnylew View Post
    I started my website out thinking, build it, post it and the overwhelming traffic on the web would lead to unreal amount of sales.

    I love this line – I constantly find myself quoting Field of Dreams when it comes to online marketing because of exactly this perspective.

    As you know, you aren’t the only one. I got an email from someone in my extended network saying our site’s been online for 2 weeks and nothing!. Heck, I have clients whose sites have been online for 5 years and given no leads.

    But your other points are really good too – too often we get tunnel vision in marketing – whether because of time, budget or knowledge. Focusing on customer loyalty is always of value.

    I know you’re not asking for advice, but I think this applies in the same way (just enabled by new technology).

    The other thing which I think a lot of small businesses forget about is that they, themselves, are usually experts. I’ve got to imagine you wouldn’t have a sports related store if you weren’t committed to sports.

    That said, why not leverage that expertise and write a couple articles to publish on your site and then publish into the article engines – this is a really low cost way to take advantage of your expertise to promote your concept.

    Consider an article like Sports Gift Choices For The Guy Who Has It All. I bet you, or someone in your employ, or your network could write 500-700 words on that over morning coffee.

    According to KeywordDiscovery, Sports Gift is estimated to get 500 + searches a day.. Gift Sports is 4 times as many, but harder to work into a title – maybe: Find Him The Ultimate Gift: Sports Are His Passion – Put His Favorite Team Under The Tree

    You publish on your site, then you push it into a few of the higher profile article distribution sources and blammo – you borrow their authority to position yours.

    And you know what the best part is? It’s free.

    __________________
    Reasonably priced website promotion. Wouldn’t you rather have a revenue generating website? Try our new simple Search Engine Ranking Analysis Tool.

    This really encompasses two things I believe. Small business expert website promotion needs to include the expert – the small business owner. And, online article publication offers a great opportunity for you to get the word out about your business in a very cost-effictive way.

    And, we’re happy to help you get out there by writing an publishing those articles for you.

    Here’s the original thread. The Small Business Ideas Forum is a great resource from Search Engine Guide.

  • Is Website Promotion more valuable than design

    Or, as a subtitle: Who’s afraid of the big bad template?

    Ok, all of you design / aesthetic purists get your typing fingers ready.

    I believe in the project management triple constraint – there is always a trade-off among time, quality and resources. So put simply, in a world of infinite resources you can do anything by tomorrow.

    If however you have limited resources (hint: everyone does, it’s just a question of how soon they’re over the limit), you will have to choose between, sometimes, competing needs. In which area of website development do you invest those limited resources? Is it in design, or website promotion?

    What if you didn’t have to choose? What if you could have great website design and very robust website promotion? I’m going to argue that if you have a website, promotion is what matters most.

    Did you build it for your grandmother? Did you build it to remind yourself of why you’re in business?

    NO! If you’re in business, you know you have to promote your business or you won’t be for long. You built that website, promotion tool that it is, to bring in new customers or reinforce your value propositon with existing ones.

    More to come…

  • Is Website Promotion Just Good Salesmanship?

    I’ve recently become enamored of the long sales letter – here is one of my favorite examples from the last couple weeks. He’s selling the hosting, he’s selling his money-making website, but mostly he’s selling the dream “Internet Riches” for next to nothing.

    The long sales letter speaks to a number of issues that I think are often overlooked – and some might say if they looked at our website by us too – much of website promotion is just good salesmanship. Let’s look at some elements of the long sales letter as an example of things which, if done in in a slightly less vulgar way, would actually benefit any revenue generating website:

    • First and foremost – they ask for the sale! Spend a little time out there and you’ll see this is a big problem for a lot of very capable technical and creative companies.
      • “Click here to buy now!” is about as direct as it gets.
    • They focus on benefits, not features (sure, you get some features too, but really it’s all about what’s in it for you!)
    • They demonstrate results – that’s what all those silly testimonials are about – they’re showing you real people who made it work for them. I mean really, if some Topeka housewife can make $8,783 in one month you can too!

    Website Promotion is no different than any other expressions of salesmanship – and in fact, the graphical nature allows you some benefits too – you have to ask for the sale, focus on benefits and demonstrate results.

    Do these things consistently and results will follow.

    Sincerely,
    Will Scott Signature

    P.S. If you’d like to learn more, buy Henry Cowen’s (my stepfather’s) book “I Sent You a Letter – Did You Reply?”

    P.P.S. Henry is a master of selling with words – I credit him with any valuable advice I might give. I am solely responsible for the bad advice.