SEO is short for “Search Engine Optimization.” It’s a collection of tactics designed to help your web pages rank better for the keyword phrases you’re targeting.

The main difference between SEO and say, Pay-Per-Click advertising, is that the visitors you receive from your listings will not cost you anything. These free listings are also called “organic listings” and there are usually ten such listings per page.

Your listings are triggered whenever someone searches for a particular term (aka keyword phrase) using a search engine. The search engine does its best to return the most relevant web pages for the search performed.

Your goal, then, is to help the search engines understand what your web page content is most relevant for. The clearer you communicate your relevance, the more likely it is that you’ll receive good search engine rankings.

Generally speaking, there are two main SEO techniques to perform to each page of your site. They are:

On Page SEO

On page optimization includes anything that is done to your actual web page. As each page is under your control, you can ensure that it is optimized for the keyword phrases you believe are most relevant to your content.

Off Page SEO

Off page SEO is more challenging as you can only control so much. Any webmaster can link where they please and if they’ve linked to your site using an undesirable bit of text, you may suffer the consequences.

However, you can control the majority of the off-page work to be done and it’s important you do. Linkbuilding is generally considered to be the most important “off page” factor and ignoring it will hamper your ability to rank well for the terms you are targeting.

Every successful SEO Plan is designed around the keyword phrases that will be targeted.

Do this right and you’ll likely get the results you are looking for… improved rankings for the terms you’ve optimized for and an increase in targeted traffic.

Do this wrong, however, and you will have wasted a whole lot of time (and possibly money too!)

Keyword research is what separates novice SEOs from true professionals. Most anyone can find keywords using a tool like that provided by Google but few know how to sift through the junk to find the treasure.

It would be impossible for me to teach you the intricacies of keyword research in this short blog post but I will give you a “top level” explanation of the three main aspects.

Search Volume

Behind each keyword phrase, there is an associated “search volume.” The search volume is an approximation of how many times the keyword phrase is searched upon in an average month.

So, if you optimize a page around a term that has a listed search volume of 100 searches per month, you can’t expect a first page ranking to bring you much traffic. After all, you should never expect your site to receive all of the available “clicks.”

Keyword Intentionality

When choosing keywords it’s important that you try to get inside the mind of the person doing the search. You may think that the keyword phrase clearly conveys what the searcher is looking for but this is not always the case.

There are many sophisticated techniques used to determine the “intentionality” of each keyword phrase but here’s a simple tip… enter the keyword phrase into the search engine you care most about and look at all of the results.

Are there a number of sponsored ads on the page? This can indicate that the keyword phrase has a “commercial intent.”

Are the organic listings what you expected to see? If most of the listings are relevant to your business, you’re on the right track. If they’re not, you probably don’t really understand the intentionality of the keyword phrase.

If you search Google.com for the keyword phrase, “how to save a life,” you might expect to see listings on first aid, CPR, the Heimlich Maneuver, etc. Instead, however, you will find information on the song, “How To Save A Life,” by The Fray.

Determining Your Competition

This may sound a bit harsh, but it’s true if you want to rank on the first page for a particular keyword phrase you are going to have to kick one of the current listings off!

Because of this, it’s important you know what it is going to take to accomplish this before deciding to optimize for the term. In some cases, you will find that the work will be easy and in others, near impossible.

There are many factors that come into play when determining your competition. It’s not just about the strength of the competitor’s website/web page, but also your strength in comparison.

This topic is a lengthy one but here are some of the questions you must ask:

• What is the domain age of my competitor and how does that relate to mine?
• How well optimized is their page and how does that relate to mine?
• How many links does their page have and how does that relate to mine?

While there is more to it, the answer to these three questions will give you a general idea as to whether you can compete or not and what you must do to improve your chances.

Black Diamond Marketing is a Rossland Internet Marketing Company Specializing in Helping Local Business Online

Harold Roscoe is the owner of Black Diamond Marketing which is a Rossland internet marketing business.  Harold has been a internet entrepreneur for over seven years and has tremendous experience in a wide variety of online marketing.

Whether local businesses owners know it or not, consumers, even local consumers are turning to the internet to help with their search for goods and services they want.  While some may feel that Rossland internet marketing is not needed by the local business owners, one only need to see things from the point of view of a tourist.

Tourists Find Restaurants Via Rossland Internet Marketing

Just think back to the last trip you planned.  You booked the flights, you booked your accommodation, then you started considering the activities you would partake in on your vacation, and you probably did this all online. In the case of Rossland internet marketing, skiers and mountain bikers visiting Rossland will research restaurants, bars, hotels, bed and breakfasts, guest homes, local shops, etc..  I think you get the idea.  By using Rossland internet marketing, a local business can position themselves at the top of the search listings, giving their business free promotion and increased patronage from tourists.

Rossland Internet Marketing Can Make a Difference in Your Business

Traditional forms of marketing are on their way out.  Simply look at the number of local newspapers that have closed their doors in the past two years.  Then look at the new online media that is emerging as common place.  Sites like Facebook and Youtube are part of everyday life.  Online newspaper, such as the Rossland Telegraph, are taking off as an alternative to print media.  Often, as residents of a snow covered small town, we lag behind the rest of the world in adapting to technology.  Given this is part of the charm of Rossland, it can also be a detriment to local business owners who choose not to consider any form of internet marketing for their business.

Watch as I Search For Local Rossland Businesses

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It is not enough to have a web site.  You have to get your target customers looking at your site and contacting you to do business.

The good news is, Rossland is a small town.  This gives ample opportunity for small business owners to use Rossland internet marketing and get noticed online.

Get a Free marketing analysis for your business

If you are located in the Rossland, Castlegar, Trail, and Nelson area, I will prepare a free analysis for your business and visit you at your place of business to show you what is possible with a online marketing strategy.

If you are located else where (I have clients all over the world), I will be happy to do a free analysis and present it to you online.

Simply fill out the Free Marketing Analysis request form and I will get back to you within two business day (usually the same day).

Whether you are looking for Rossland internet marketing or a different geographic location, we can help you.

Okay, my post title is a little “over the top” but you’ll understand what I mean in a minute. Most of my clients ask how much it will cost to get a “first page ranking” for a particular keyword phrase they are targeting but few ask…

“Is it possible to get multiple “organic” rankings on the first page?

While it may surprise you, the answer is a resounding “YES!”

Generally speaking, there are ten organic search engine listings on each page for a particular term (aka keyword phrase). There may be more than this if the results include listings from Google Places or listings from Google’s Universal Search.

Most website owners get excited when their site is found on the first page of Google. However, aggressive marketers/SEOs know that it’s possible to occupy more than one of the organic listings for a term.

This is great news for the site owners that understand this and not so great for those that don’t. It’s pretty simple to understand… the more “real estate” you occupy on page one, the more likely you are to increase your targeted website traffic and build your brand.

Just make sure to do your homework first because it does take a lot of effort to secure multiple listings. It won’t do you any good to get all ten spots for a term that brings little traffic or for a term that brings the wrong type of traffic.

Search Engine Optimization Terms 101

As Search Engine Optimization is highly technical, there are many specialized terms used when discussing this topic. I’ll list some of the most commonly misunderstood terms below, starting with SEO/SEM (and the difference between them).

1.     SEO/SEM

SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization.” It’s a set of techniques used by a SEO Consultant to improve your website’s rankings in the search engines for a particular set of keywords, or keyword phrases. (more on this topic in a bit)

SEM stands for “Search Engine Marketing” and is being used more and more by search engine professionals. In addition to the standard SEO techniques, SEM Consultants also specialize in:

• Creating Pay-Per-Click Campaigns on the search engine of your choice… primarily Google, Yahoo and Bing.
• Buying paid “inclusions” from the search engines. This is paying a search engine company for a guarantee that your website will be included in their search results.

2.     SERPs

SERPs stands for “Search Engine Results Pages.” It’s the page that is returned whenever someone conducts a search through a search engine.

SEO techniques are used to improve your web page’s ranking amongst the other “organic” listings in the SERPs with the ultimate goal of increasing targeted website traffic.

3.     Keyword Phrase

It’s extremely important that you grasp the concept of the “keyword phrase” as it is the backbone of SEO. A keyword, or keyword phrase, is the word(s) entered into the search box by an internet user.

As the search engines return the web pages they believe to be most relevant for the keyword phrase entered, it’s vital that you understand the concept and do your best to optimize your pages for the keyword phrases you want to be found for.

4.     Backlinks

Last, but not least, is the subject of backlinks. Most SEO Consultants agree that the creation of backlinks (aka links, link building, one-way links, etc.) that point to your pages should be your primary objective.

You need to build quality links, that contain your targeted keyword phrases and you need to do this on an ongoing basis. SEO is not a “once and done” type of activity, it requires continual improvement/management to be truly effective.

Three SEO Myths You Should Know

The subject of Search Engine Optimization (aka SEO) is one of much debate. Some of the information found on the web is valid, other pieces were valid in the past but are no longer valid and still other information was never true to begin with.

Here are three common SEO myths:

1.    It’s impossible to outrank a web page with a Google PageRank higher than your own.

As “PageRank” is specific only to Google, it won’t affect your search engine rankings at Yahoo or Bing. Even on Google, the PageRank indicator only plays a minor role in determining search engine placement and is certainly not a critical factor.

If you do a few searches on Google you will find this to be true. Within a few minutes you’ll likely find a page, with a lower Google PR, outranking a page with a higher one.

That should put this myth to rest.

2.    SEO is a one-time activity… you simply “set it and forget it!”

It would be great if this were true but it’s not. Effective Search Engine Optimization requires ongoing work (and maintenance) and if you discontinue your efforts, you’ll find your rankings slip over time.

This is especially true when it comes to link building. The search engines monitor your inbound links and if they come to a sudden halt, they assume your page is losing its relevance.

3.    Each page should have a keyword density of 3-5%
This may have been true in the past but it’s not any more. You should see that your targeted keyword phrases appear somewhere on your page but you don’t need a calculator.

Instead, you should concentrate on writing content that will be found valuable by your visitors. After all, the search engine robots aren’t likely to buy any of the products/services you have to offer.

Getting The Most Out of Google Places

While there is much more to optimizing your Google Places listing than first meets the eye, these five tips will give you a “leg up” on your competition:

1.     Fill out every field completely.

There are about 20 fields to fill out when completing your Place Page listing. I recommend that you fill out each and every field as skipping even one can negatively affect the ranking of your Places Page.

As a general rule you’ll find the more complete your listing is, the better it will rank for the keyword phrases you are targeting.

2.     Utilize every category available to you.

Google only requires you to use one category for your listing but will allow you to use up to five. You can get your Place Page ranked for more terms if you include the keyword phrases you are targeting in the category names.

Warning: Don’t take this to mean that you can stuff your categories with multiple keyword phrases. I have seen this practice done but it is dangerous and may result in penalties from Google.

3.     You can add up to ten photos — add all ten!

Google allows you to use up to ten photos and I encourage you to use every one of them. If you really want to enhance the benefit they bring, consider uploading the images to Panoramio or Flickr and geo-tagging the images with your business address.

4.     You’re allotted five videos — don’t forget to use them too.

Yes, it’s a bit harder to create videos than it is photos, but this is actually good news. How, you ask?

Well, you’ll find that many businesses don’t include a video in their listing and those that do rarely add all five. As I said in tip #1, the more complete your listing is, the easier it is to rank well for the terms you’re targeting.

5.     Build as many citations as possible.

A citation is an online reference for your business and services. Google uses them to validate that your business truly exists and that it offers the type of services you list on your Places page.

It’s extremely important that your citations closely match the information found on your Places page.  As you can control the citations you create, it’s best if the information matches your Places Page information EXACTLY!

You can create your own citations at directories like the Yellow Pages, Super Pages, CitySearch, Insider Pages, Yahoo Local, Localize and a number of others.

One of my favorite tools to help me understand how and where my website traffic is coming from is Google Analytics.  Google analytics is a free tracking tool that can be added to just about any website.  It gives the site owner the ability to view the following:

• How visitor find their site (organic listings, PPC, links from other sites, etc…)
• How long a visitor stays on the site
• What pages a visitor click too
• Track conversions and sales
• The exit page (the page the visitor leaves from)
• The total traffic volume for any given period
• Build custom reports
• And, well, a ton of other cool stuff.  Too much to list here

On the very basic side of things,Google Analytics lets you monitor the traffic to your site and where it is coming from.  This alone is enough to improve the SEO structure of the site and optimize any PPC advertising you are doing.  It also leads to new advertising opportunities as you gain a better understanding of who you customers are and their online habits.

If you do not have Google Analytics installed on your site currently, I highly suggest you make it a priority.

This post isn’t likely to make me many friends from those in the Web Design community but you know what they say… “sometimes, the truth hurts.”

The problem is that the “left hand” generally has no idea what the “right hand” is doing and as a result, important details are left undone. In this case, the left hand represents the web designer and the right hand represents the client.

Most client’s assume that their web designer will be SEO’ing their website. Most web designers’ assume that the client will hire a specialist to handle the Search Engine Optimization tasks.

Do you see where this is going?

After the web designer has finished their part, they put the site live. The client reviews the work, marvels at the beauty, and makes the final payment. The problem is that the site has not been SEO’d at all and the client is completely unaware of this fact.

I’ve seen sites that have been live for years that still have “meta titles” that read, “Untitled Document.” This is a sure sign that no SEO work has even been done and the site’s traffic rankings are usually hideous.

Now, I’m not blaming the web designers of the world because I don’t think it’s their place to SEO the sites they build in the first place. I do, however, believe that they should communicate that fact with their clients. Some web designers perform basic SEO to the sites they are building and some outsource the work to a SEO Consultant.

Regardless of what is done in terms of SEO, the topic should be discussed with the client. This way, the client will understand what it is they’re paying for and will know to look for a SEO Consultant if that work isn’t being performed.