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Locate the Perfect SEO Expert

Having a fantastic web site available on the web will do nothing for one’s business if no one can find it.  Once built, an essential part of having a web site is optimizing it so that search engines can easily locate it.  This requires a bit of expertise with regard to keywords and phrases, good content copy that reflects the chosen keywords and even knowing which page URLs will work or not with search engine spidering.

Don’t do it yourself

Instead of attempting to do this on one’s own, it is prudent and recommended to seek out and hire an SEO consultant.  A professional SEO consultant will be able to determine which services are needed to make one’s business web site optimized for search engines and how to incorporate SEO marketing.

There are dozens of specific tasks and elements that go into good SEO and going the “do-it-yourself” route may end with one’s web site not showing at all in the major search engines.

Check their previous work

The first thing to ask for when looking for the perfect SEO expert is previous examples of SEO content as well as web sites they have helped optimize in the past.  Check the rankings of these web sites with the major search engines – Google and Yahoo are perfect examples – and use the Alexa web site to view overall rankings.  Alexa is a free web traffic metric analyzer that will give one a good overview of how well a web site or company is doing over time.

A good showing with increased rankings over time is an indication of how effective an SEO consultant can be.  Rankings that are dropping or maintaining an unchanged level would indicate locating another SEO expert would be in order.

Look at rates

Check the rates of the SEO consultants one is considering.  Very low rates can mean the person in question is just starting out and is trying to build up their portfolio.  Very high rates but with a less than stellar portfolio can also indicate a novice in the SEO field or one that isn’t terribly good at what they do.

Alternatively, as the world economy has taken a beating lately, many professionals have dropped their rates accordingly.  This is an important factor to keep in mind when researching rates.  Check to see if the SEO professional in question has recently dropped their hourly or project rates – one may get a bargain out of this.

Cheaper isn’t better

Don’t attempt to take the cheapest route.  While initially it may seem like a good idea and cost effective, a low rate SEO consultant can mean poor work produced for one’s business web site.  This, in turn, will mean ineffective search engine optimization, low rankings (if at all) within the major search engines and pretty much a loss of money overall.

Careful research should be done when looking to hire an SEO consultant.  Look at their previous results, experience and rates.  Remember that great search engine optimization can mean more customers and hiring a professional to do it correctly can only bring about a return on one’s investment.

How Search Engine-Friendly is Your Domain Name?

A search engine-friendly domain name can put you on a path to achieve the rankings and traffic you need to be successful online.  It can aid in helping target your audience, increase conversions and open the door to multiple streams of revenue.  If these benefits are desirable to you, the following tips should come in handy when going to the registrar to acquire the name.

Think SEO and User-friendly Domain - In order to be considered search engine-friendly, your domain name must be preferably short and easy to remember.  This way, users can recall it much faster and the probability of generating quality traffic becomes much greater.  In most cases, a long, complicated name will only work against you and hinder your success.

Focus on Keywords - Keywords add to the success of a domain name because they play such a critical role in the SEO process.  When implementing keywords into your URL, search engines like Google will index it faster, thus increasing the possibility of higher click-through rates and most importantly, more exposure.

Be Cautious of Hyphens - Many SEO experts speak strongly against inserting hyphens in a domain name.  This is because they can lead to complications such as users forgetting where the hyphen is to be positioned within the domain.  Because there could be many similar websites that contain domain names without hyphens, you want to be very careful that you do not direct visitors to your competition.

Optimize for Type-in Traffic – Some internet users have a habit of typing keywords directly into their browser bar instead of a search box.  To leverage this type of traffic, you may want to register a domain that contains your targeted domain in its entirety to increase your traffic through this prevalent market.

Choose a Fitting TLD – There are many top level domain to choose from, but you will likely have more success from SEO standpoint by choosing a .com.

Establish Inbound Links – Inbound links are another part of the SEO process. You certainly want to establish quality links that include your domain.  If your site is devoid of such links, the search engines will conclude that it lacks relative content.  Keep in mind that poor links will negatively effective your optimization efforts.  For this reason, you want to avoid link farms and questionable practices employed by questionable SEO firms.

Choose a Good Domain Name Registrar – The key to obtaining an search engine-friendly domain name is to register the name with a respectable registrar.  There are many registrars on the market but not all can be relied upon.  We recommend sticking with known and trusted brands like GoDaddy and Yahoo or opting for one with your web hosting provider.

Registering a search engine-friendly domain will not guarantee you increased traffic or visibility.  Even SEO itself calls for you to promote your site in traditional ways and most importantly, make sure it contains quality content web surfers will be interested in.   Once you come to realize this, we are confident that these tips will go a long way in helping you achieve the visibility and success you desire online.

Three Essential Elements of SEO

You can explain the concept in a number of technical ways but SEO primarily involves optimizing one’s site to be search engine friendly.  Search engines are responsible for most of the traffic on the web and can play a major role in increasing the number of visitors that come to your site.  Because these visitors usually come in with a general interest, webmasters all over the world are looking for ways to increase their visibility.  There are many aspects that go into SEO but these three simple elements are among the most essential.

Keywords and Phrases

The most basic and effective SEO technique of all is the use of keywords and key phrases. Keywords simply refer to the terms users commonly enter into a search engine.  Search engine robots or spiders are trained to crawl the web and find these terms.  Once these words are found, the corresponding web page is indexed by the spider and then listed in a search engine.  For the most part, key phrases are like keywords but simply have more words bundled together.  Key phrases may be presented in the form of a question or other formats commonly associated with a particular niche.  When used properly, both can be the determining factor in the success of your SEO campaign.

Page Titles

If you take a look in the top of left corner of your browser, you will find text detailing the site you’re on and perhaps a brief description of what the page is about.  This is the title of a web page, often overlooked but oh so important.  Some webmasters don’t realize it, however, the title is one of the first elements a search engine spider will detect when landing on your site.  Because of this, you want to make sure your web pages have relative, keyword-rich titles.  When incorporating keywords into your titles, it is important to make sure you keep them relative and to a minimum.  Search engine spiders are designed to ignore sites that contain keyword stuffed pages.  This is why you want to be very careful not to overuse them.

Keyword Density

Because keyword stuffing is often looked down upon by the search engines, one must be cautious of going overboard.  In fact, overusing them can actually be more damaging than using none at all when it comes to getting rankings.  Keyword density is a way to make sure this doesn’t happen.  This technique basically refers to the number of keywords divided by the number of words on a web page.  On a page consisting of 500 words, experts suggest that anything over 5% is considered keyword stuffing while anything less is considered to make less of an impact.  For this reason, you want to find out what is appropriate density for the number of words on your pages.

Conclusion

Every step helps in the race to claim search engine fame.  If you think about it however, the top spots are limited and depending on the competition in your niche, earning high rankings might be next to impossible.   The good thing is that the rankings change frequently so if you stay at it, you could find yourself on the front page of Google at one time or another.

The Pros and Cons of Keyword-Rich Domains

When it comes to choosing a domain name, there are numerous strategies one can employ to ensure they make the best selection possible.  One strategy that is often recommended is the implementation of a popular keyword relative to your niche.  While there are obvious advantages to such a move, there are also instances where it could work to your disadvantage.  This article will go over both sides of the spectrum.

The Bright Side

The way some explain it, you might believe that incorporating a keyword into your domain will automatically result in high search engine rankings for that particular term.  This might be the case in an uncompetitive market but let’s face it, those fields are far and few these days.  In fact, it is quite debatable how much search engines take your domain URL into account.  Be that as it may, every step helps in the battle to increase search engine visibility.  A good keyword-rich domain will definitely come in handy when submitting your site to directories and participating in link exchange programs.  It will also allow you to have your domain name become bolded in the search engine results, putting emphasis on what your site is all about.  Therefore, even if its only a small boost, it goes a long way in achieving those quality rankings you desire.

The Downside

The main disadvantage to keyword implementation is the likelihood that your domain will be similar to the competition’s.  Just think about how many URLs have the terms “web hosting” in them.  In such a highly competitive niche, your domain will be strikingly similar to the next, a factor that might lead potential clients to believe they have already paid you a visit.  Trying to leverage a popular keyword or phrase could also lead to a domain name that is too long, difficult to remember and doesn’t necessarily apply to your specialties.  This could end up limiting both your click-through and conversion rates.  If this is the road you decide to take, keep in mind that people are more likely to associate you with generic keywords rather than the actual name of your business.

Search Engine Rankings vs. Brand Awareness

Before registering a domain name, you must make the difficult decision of what is the most important: achieving high search engine rankings or establishing brand awareness.  Now let’s clear the air here – just because you choose to focus on your brand doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t get search engine rankings.  That goal just might take a bit longer to achieve.  If the name of your business is highly marketable, you probably want it to be well known throughout your niche.  Remember that this is no overnight thing as it could take months and possibly years to accomplish.  The rewards however, are worth the wait.  Just imagine having the name of your business come up whenever some mentions that particular niche.  On the other hand, if your company name is less marketable, establishing a brand name may not be as important.  In this case, you might be satisfied with getting good search engine rankings.  There is really no right or wrong here.  It’s all about what determining what works best for your website.

Options for Valuable Search Engine Submission

Your website is finally done and now you are ready to bring in some quality traffic.  There is certainly no shortage of promotional techniques and search engine optimization is one of the most effective.  SEO consists of numerous elements but this article will focus on the first step – search engine submission.

The Importance of Search Engines

A search engine is like the local Yellow Pages book.  Whereas the Yellow Pages only contains listings in your area, a search engine offers world wide reach.   Each uses robots or spiders that crawl the web in search of pages to index in their database.  Search engines are driven by keywords as this is what a user types in the box to find the content they are looking for.  While keyword implementation and link popularity play a major role in getting your site to rank well, manually submitting your site is equally important.

Google and Yahoo

Google and Yahoo are easily the two most significant search engines on the web.  Although Google is arguably the most popular, Yahoo is often deemed as the best.  When performing identical searches in both engines, you will find that Yahoo gives you a lot of results Google looks over.  Be that as it may, both should be at the top of your list for search engine submission.  If your site isn’t listed here, you are missing out on a great deal of traffic.

MSN

A relatively new option, MSN is a search engine developed by Microsoft.  Though not as popular as Google and Yahoo, getting your site listed in MSN is equally important as it has become the third highest ranked search engine on the market.  With this search engine, you can either submit your site via Live Search or Submit Express, both of which are trusted links through MSN.

Lycos

Lycos is a combination of a search engine and online directory, quite similar to Yahoo.  It normally takes about four weeks to have your site listed which all depends on when you made the submission.  The Lycos search engine spiders typically operate every four weeks, so if you submit just before the next scheduled crawl, there is a chance that your site could get listed fairly quickly.

Looksmart

Looksmart is a search engine that specializes in commercial advertising.  This search engine is quickly gaining ground as more webmasters realize the benefit of online advertising.  The downside to Looksmart is that submitting your site will cost you a pretty penny along with a lengthy waiting period.  There is also an express service but this of course, is priced much higher.  Non-profit organizations can submit their sites on Looksmart for free.

Northern Light

The Northern Light search engine is becoming increasingly popular as it indexes all new site submissions in about three to four weeks.  This search engine is extremely easy to use and submitting to it will cost you nothing.

When submitting to a search engine, make sure the description of your site is longer than 24 words.  Avoid using HTML tags as well as any descriptions that can be viewed as marketing terms.  A submission will not guarantee you top ranking on the front page of Google, but is that first critical step to getting some decent exposure for your site.