Organic Search Engine Optimization 101
Understanding Organic Search Engine Optimization 101
by Eric Peterson (February 6, 2012) ericpetersongalleries.com
The other day, I received an email from someone wanting to try and sell their search engine optimization (SEO) services to my clients. I normally ignore these solicitations, but this time, for some reason I responded.
I responded by thanking them for their offer, but my clients weren’t in need of their services. I explained that I build quality websites that are search engine optimized through every stage of development. I explained that my sites have very good rankings in the search engines. (I also looked over their website and offered my assistance)
This person responded back, trying to tell me that page optimization is a thing of the past, and that without somebody like them submitting their site every month, my clients were probably getting no traffic. He also stated that since they sold nothing on their website, they didn’t need traffic.
I conceded that there was indeed a market out there for his services. But that’s only because there are so many bad sites out there.
SEO in Very Simple Terms...
In very simple terms, search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, Ask, and others send out little robots and spiders to crawl websites, looking for information that would be relevant in search results. When the spider or robot find this relevant information, they report back to the search engine. Think of this information as “food”.
Joomla! Named Top Open Source Content Management System
Joomla Has Now Won a Packt Open Source Award Three Times Since 2006
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 11/15/11 -- Joomla, one of the world's most popular open source content management systems (CMS) used for everything from websites to blogs to Intranets, today announced Joomla has won the Packt Publishing award for the top open source CMS. Now in its sixth year, many consider the Packt Open Source Award as a top honor for an open source project. Joomla won the award based on a combination of public voting and input by a panel of judges consisting of open source luminaries.
"Although around since 2005, Joomla really reinvented itself this year with the introduction of Joomla 1.6 and 1.7, the first product releases for the CMS since 2008," said Julian Copes of Packt Publishing. "Furthermore, Joomla realized dramatic growth this year as evidenced by its number of downloads and documented government sites powered by Joomla. We are proud to honor Joomla with its third Packt Open Source Award since we launched it six years ago."
Read more: Joomla! Named Top Open Source Content Management System
Build Your Own Website or Hire a Pro
Build Your Own Website or Hire a Pro
by Eric Peterson, 12/2/2010, ericpetersongalleries.com
Do you have a website? Is it getting good rankings on numerous search engines?
A website is a valuable tool in today's marketplace. With over 90% of household having computers, and of those, nearly 70% are using their Internet connections to research products before they make a purchase, a good website is a must.
Many people think that if you have a website, it will drive business. Often times, however, websites are so poorly configured that the only way they can be found is if someone knows the website's address before hand. A search engine actually finding the website is the equivalent of a blind squirrel finding a nut.
There's a lot more to building a website than just making it pretty. An experienced website developer will know how to determine the search phrases that the owner of the site needs to bring in business. Then that developer will configure everything from page titles, descriptions, and keywords to the way the content is actually worded and configured to get the maximum visibility on the Internet. So, the "pretty" is only a small part of the website.
Is it important to have a good looking website? Absolutely. A professional looking website will add to a business's credibility. It shows the consumer that the owner has pride in their business. A good online image can translate into a consumer's perceived confidence in the product. Obviously, it's then up to the business owner to prove to the consumer that their product is good in order to retain that customer.
So, the following things need to be in place for a business to be successful on the web...
- A well developed, search engine optimized (SEO) website (so the website can be found with the desired key phrases).
- A professional looking site design (so the consumer will consider doing business with the company).
- A quality product or service (for the business to retain the consumer that the website brought in).
Given enough time, even a bad website will eventually show up. But updates that you make will still take a long time to propagate the web.
Many business owners think that they can get a website on the cheap. Often times, they choose to with subscription web servers with generic templates that they build themselves. There are a number of products like that on the market, such as GoDaddy, VistaPrint, Market America, Intuit, and a plethora of other web hosting companies. These products can be anywhere from a free to $50 a month or more. Without knowledge of the workings of various search engines, the business owner is blindly throwing money into a project that has almost no chance of results.
Top 5 Benefits of a Professional Website Design
Top 5 Benefits of a Professional Website Design
by Joe Gold on Aug 4, 2010 - ultravisions.com
Top 5 Benefits of a Professional Website Design
It’s true! In most cases, people do judge a book by its cover, or at least initially. The same holds true for website designs. Visitors who come to your site can decide in an instant if this is a place that they will spend time and money at or if they will just move on to somewhere else.
Keeping this in mind the benefits of having a professionally designed website can make or break your online presence, especially if your website is directed towards building your business. Below are 5 key reasons why you need a professional web design.
1. First impressions really do count
As I talked about at the start of this article, the first impression that a viewer makes when he first visits your site is, by far, the most important one. Surveys show that a potential customer is as much as 30x more apt to spend money on professionally designed website over one that looks like it was created by amateur or even one built by online template style website builders.
2. Professional website design brings more sales
A good website design attracts visitors and potential customers from all over the internet. Good designs cause visitors to share your URL with others and then so on and so forth. The more times your site is shared, the more traffic you get and most certainly you will see an increase in sales.
Does Your Business Need a Website?
Does Your Business Need a Website?
from Hubpages.com
There are several reasons you should consider a website for your business!
Businesses of all sizes are holding tighter to their money now than ever before. One reason, they claim, is to wait for the economy to improve before promoting their business.
I pray this won’t offend: But, Such reasoning is impractical. Let’s be real here: Whose going to remember you when your business has closed its doors?
No time is better than now to promote your business with a strong web presence. Here’s why:
1. All Businesses—Especially Yours—Need a Strong Web Presence. We’re no longer living in60s, 70s. Or 80’s! Today’s consumers expect—often demand--a business website, usually searching the web before making a purchase—online or off.
Without a strong web presence, others have difficulty finding you. Fewer people consult phone books these days. Instead, they try to find you on the web. Will you be found?
Indicators of Poor Website Design, Part 1
How Do I Know if I Need a New Website?
Indicators of Poor Website Design, Part 1
by Eric Peterson 12/16/2010
With so many people now researching potential purchases and services online, a website is often a businesses first and sometimes only opportunity to make a first impression.
So, the first thing for any website, is it must be able to be found.
- Your website should pull up in search engine results when people type in some word or phrase that relates to your product or service. Not just if they type in the name of your website or business.
- Your site should pull up organically. In other words, you want your site to pull up all by itself. Not just in a directory of other businesses like yours. When you pull up in a directory alone, you immediately have competition, and there's no certainty that the searcher will choose your business.
Many websites out there are so poorly designed that there is almost no chance that they will ever pull up. Search engines are looking for food to feed their results. Things like page titles, descriptions, keywords, and of course, content. Visual design is only a part of things. You can have the most attractive, impelling site on the world wide web, but if there isn't any food for the search engines, nobody is going to find it. Your beautiful design will go unnoticed!
Here are some indicators of poor website design...