User-Centered Design and SEO

Many businesses spend thousands of dollars on usability testing and analysis before launching a new or redesigned Web site. Three months after the launch, business owners are often puzzled about their sites' lack of search engine visibility. When they turn to SEO (define) information on the Web, they often encounter black-hat myths and other genuine misconceptions about the entire search optimization process.

The conclusion often reached is SEO and user-centered design (UCD) are at odds with one another. Black-hat SEO professionals, of course, tend to encourage this belief because it means they don't have to venture into an area in which they have limited or no knowledge: Web site usability.

Web site owners and usability professionals need to open their eyes. UCD and SEO are usually completely related. I consider search optimization to be a component of user-centered design. Two specific UCD concepts are very important to the SEO process: a sense of place and an information scent.

Providing a Sense of Place on Web Pages

A sense of place is very important in the SEO process. When people click a link from a search engine, they don't always go to a site's home page. They most likely land on a page containing the information they're searching for, or they land on a page that will lead them to the desired information. For searchers to feel confident that a site offers the product, service, or information they desire, Web pages should present clear "you are here" cues.

The most important cue is keywords. If searchers type a keyword phrase in a Web search engine, they want to see those keywords appear in search results, which is the main reason keywords in HTMLtitle tags and meta-tag descriptions (if used) are critical. Once searchers click a link from a SERP (define), they want to see that same keyword phrase appear on the Web page they land on, preferably above the fold.

Keyword phrases can appear in a variety of places on a Web page. The HTML title-tag content appears at the top of the browser screen, but people generally don't pay attention to that part of the screen. They do, however, tend to focus on the center of the screen, approximately three to four inches from the top. A heading is commonly placed in that area.

Locational breadcrumb links are also frequently placed in that area. Even though site visitors typically don't use breadcrumb links to navigate the site, we find they're important to provide both a sense of place and keyword focus to a Web page.

Interestingly, when we used Jared Spool's eight-second usability test, we found participants mostly recalled the heading content. We attributed this to screen real estate placement, white space surrounding the heading, color, and font size. Some of the questions we ask during the eight-second usability test are:

* What Web page are you viewing?

* What information is presented on this Web page, or what content is available on this page?

* Whose site are you viewing?

* What section, if any, of the site are you viewing?

* How confident are you that you will see desired information on this page?

During this Q and A process, we find participants mention many you-are-here cues: headings and subheadings, locational breadcrumb links, global navigational elements, and main-content area text. If important keywords are used in all or most of these places, participants feel more confident the Web page contains the information they desire. This confidence transfers to the entire site if the cues are used consistently.

Providing a sense of place consistently throughout a Web site, therefore, communicates trust, reliability, and dependability. It also makes a site more search-engine friendly.

Providing an Information Scent on Web Pages

Ideally, searchers should be able to query commercial Web search engines and be delivered to pages that contain the exact information they want. If a searcher wants to determine the cost of a square, pink, silk Burberry scarf at a variety of online stores, for example, she generally wants to arrive at product pages that show the price and a photo of the scarf.

Information retrieval systems are far from perfect, however, and most content providers don't necessarily understand search-engine friendly copywriting. The result? Searchers don't always land on the page that contains the information they desire. They might, however, land on a page that can lead them to the information they desire, such as a category or FAQ page. Providing an information scent on a Web site, therefore, is important not only for closing a sale but also for information retrieval.

To provide an effective information scent, searchers must feel comfortable navigating a Web site. Using important keywords in navigational elements (primary and secondary navigation schemes, breadcrumb links, related cross-links) is critical for providing this scent. Some of the questions we may also ask during the eight-second usability test include:

* Is the information you wanted available on this page?

* If not, where can you go to find this information?

* How can you get there?

* What pages have you visited? What pages haven't you visited? How did you determine this?

* How can you go back to pages you have viewed previously (if applicable)?

* How confident are you that you will see desired information on this page if you click on this link?

* After clicking on a link, do you see the desired information on this Web page?

Providing a keyword-focused information scent can make a site search-engine friendly as well as user-friendly.

Conclusion

SEO and Web site usability aren't at odds with each other. By analyzing and understanding your target audience's search behavior and keyword usage and by incorporating this information on your Web site, you can create a user experience that benefits everyone: your business, your prospects, your customers, and the Web search engines.

Why Does Search Marketing Work So Well?

IN MY LAST TWO COLUMNS, I contemplated the future role of search in the online and overall media mix. In a world where all media are digital and all content is available on demand, search becomes vital for consumers, publishers, and marketers alike.

In trying to determine how advertising can best fit into this new environment and how search professionals can best prepare for this convergence, I think we need to do a deeper dive into why paid search work so well today.

While this may not be rocket science, I do believe the combination of the following features are unique to pay-per-click (PPC) search advertising and will dictate the formation of tomorrow's marketing methods of choice.

Proactive Consumption

When people search, they are seeking out--and indicating an active interest in--specific content, products, and/or services. In turn, search marketers are able to reach consumers at the precise moment of inquiry, providing relevant content, products, and/or services that may be of interest to the searcher.

In this respect, search is truly a pull medium. The closest parallel in the media world is Yellow Page advertising--but "searchers" in that context are limited to pre-defined categories.

Mass Customization

With search ads, marketers can display a different listing to each consumer based on the perceived intent of his/her query. That customized message can include different brand attributes and calls-to-action to meet each specific search.

This differs from traditional online display ads or TV/radio spots where the same message is delivered to all consumers who happen to be viewing a Web page or viewing/listening to a certain channel at a certain time.

Instant Point-of-Need Direction

By using customized landing pages, search marketers can instantly direct interested consumers to a specific destination where they can present the information requested, engage the consumer with the brand, and entice a desired action.

Unlike other ad platforms where only one direction can be provided and the call-to-action cannot be completed until a later time (i.e. sending people to a brick-and-mortar store to redeem a coupon), search ads can immediately take consumers to a location tailored specifically to their query.

Dynamic Performance-Based Pricing

With PPC search, marketers can name their price in real time for each ad placement, and only pay for actual traffic delivered to their Web site.

A lot has been made in this space recently regarding auctions as a means for efficient media sales/buying. And, while auctions can certainly be a crucial component of successful advertising, it is the combination of an auction environment with the ability to change a bid at any time and pay only for completed consumer activity that truly sets search apart. Even with the e-Media Exchange, which brings an auction to "traditional" media, marketers will still have to pay for ad insertion (CPM) as opposed to ad performance (CPC/CPA) and it's unclear how often marketers can update their bids.

So, as we think about search pervading traditional mediums in the coming years, how can we create advertising opportunities that incorporate the key features of search marketing as we know it today?

Put another way, to all my fellow search professionals out there--rather than trying to convince marketers to reallocate budget from TV and other platforms because search works so well, why not convince traditional media providers and publishers to redevelop their properties and platforms with the aforementioned attributes of search in mind so that all advertising will work well?

It's clear that some search providers and search firms are already moving in that direction. My next column will explore the role of each of these constituencies in that process--and how some key players are leading the way.

Prdeal.com Recognizes Top Internet Marketing Services Companies for September 2006

With more than 1100 internet marketing vendors registered, topseos.com makes the internet marketing vendor evaluation process easier with its latest listings of top companies and consultants.

Plymouth, IN (PRWEB) -- http://www.Prdeal.com – Prdeal.com, a single source for researching and evaluating internet marketing companies and consultants, has released its list of the top Internet Marketing Service rankings for September 2006. It is now easier than ever to research and evaluate a variety of internet marketing firms via Prdeal.com’s renowned list of rankings.

"Prdeal.com releases the September 2006 winners. Our winners list is composed of both large organizations, as well as smaller organizations,” says Adam Muhammad of Prdeal.com. “A mix like this allows organizations of all sizes to explore their options based on their budgets and personal preferences.”

Internet Marketing and Services Vendor Rankings for September 2006 include:

Organic Optimizations: Top 30

1. Kinetic Results – New York
2. Zunch Communications, Inc.- Texas
3. Intrapromote LLC – Ohio
4. Portent Interactive – Washington
5. iProspect – Massachusetts
6. Telic Media – California
7. SEO Image, Inc. – New York
8. eTrafficJams.com – Florida
9. Web Monopoly Inc. - California
10. TopRank Online Marketing – Minnesota
11. Prime Visibility – New York
12. We Build Pages – New York
13. Bruce Clay, Inc. – California
14. Carrera e-Commerce – New York
15. Greenlight – United Kingdom
16. Neutralize – United Kingdom
17. icrossing – New York
18. Reprise Media – New York
19. ArteWorks Business Class – Texas
20. Submit Express – California
21. Bigmouthmedia.com – United Kingdom
22. Alchemist Media, Inc. – California
23. Blizzard Internet Marketing - Colorado
24. 360i LLC – New York
25. First Page SEO - Canada
26. Attach, LLC – California
27. SearchMar, Inc. – California
28. Alpine SEO – Colorado
29. Pole Position Web, LLC – Nevada
30. Service Internet Solutions LLC - Connecticut

Pay Per Click Mgt.: Top 5
1. Telic Media – California
2. Intrapromote LLC – Ohio
3. Acronym Media – New York
4. Inceptor, Inc – Massachusetts
5. NewGate Internet - California

SEM Training Programs: Top 5
1. Laredo Group – Florida
2. Onlinewebtraining.com - Canada
3. Global Strategies International – Connecticut
4. Search Engine College – Australia
5. Bruce Clay, Inc. - California

Link Popularity Services: Top 5
1. Intrapromote LLC – Ohio
2. We Build Pages – New York
3. Patrick Gavin Inc. – USA
4. Ad Maiora - Italy
5. TextLinkBrokers.com – Arizona

SEM Email Marketing: Top 5
1. Topica Inc. – California
2. Double Click – New York
3. Vertical Response Inc.- California
4. Constant Contact – Massachusetts
5. Mailworkz.com - Canada

Content Creation/ Search Engine Copywriting: Top 5
1. TheWriteContent.com – Canada
2. Marketing Words, Inc. – South Carolina
3. Smith Content - Maryland
4. Content Domain – California
5. Ascent Copywriting - Massachusetts

Press Release Marketing: Top 5
1. PR.com – New York
2. 24-7pressrelease.com - Canada
3. PR Leap – USA
4. PR Web International, Inc. - Washington
5. eReleases (MEK Enterprises LLC) – Maryland

Website Traffic Analysis: Top 5
1. Omniture, Inc. – Utah
2. Click Tracks – California
3. Mondosoft – California
4. Web Trends Inc. – Oregon
5. Maxamine Inc. - California

SEM Hosting: Top 5
1. Rackspace Ltd. – Texas
2. Hosting.com – Kentucky
3. Hostway Corporation – Illinois
4. Aplus.Net Internet Services – California
5. Interland, Inc. – Georgia

Search Engine Friendly Web Design: Top 5
1. red : rain Solutions - India
2. Oxidev Interactive – Florida
3. 4guys.com – Texas
4. ecisive.com – Florida
5. Deepblue.com - Georgia

Search Engine Friendly Web Development: Top 5
1. red : rain Solutions – India
2. 2advanced.com - California
3. Red Clay Interactive – Georgia
4. delphicsage.com – Philadelphia
5. avenuea-razorfish.com - Washington

Internet marketing and services companies wishing to be considered for the topseos.com Top 30 Directory can complete an application by registering as a service vendor and applying for rankings at: http://www.Prdeal.com

Companies that wish to research and evaluate internet marketing firms can easily do so at: www.Prdeal.com.

About Prdeal.com
Prdeal.com was founded in 1998 by e-ventures and serves to provide the search engine marketing industry and companies with a single source for researching internet marketing vendors as well as a place for internet marketing and service providers to showcase their services. http://www.Prdeal.com.

How To Analyze Your Website

How good is your website? Does it do its job? Is it effective? These are all good questíons that every business owner and marketing manager needs to ask him or herself. The website has become an essential tool for business. We all know we have to have a website, but are we using this venue to its greatest advantage?

Most people responsible for their company's websites have stats packages and counters to tell them how many hits, how many unique visitors, where they are coming from, what their IP addresses are, what browser they're using, and of course the all important monitor resolution. So what! Who cares? The real question is do we have an effective website?


Now if you have a transactional website, commonly referred to as an e-commerce site, you know the number of salës you are generating from your site, which is important, but do you really know how effective your site is? How many orders are you losing because of bad layout, awkward design, confusing navigation, and poor copy? How many potential clients have you chased away because you haven't put a telephone number on your site and an accessible real-person that can answer questíons?

A website is your business' public face. Big businesses can look like mom and pop operations and mom and pop operations can look like General Motors. The design of your website should not be taken lightly, its budget should not be an afterthought, and the designer you hire should be someone who understands more than code. Your Web-designer should be a multimedia-marketing advisor, someone who can counsel you how best to deliver your marketing message, and someone who can go beyond technical issues.

You can spend a lot of monëy and have someone analyze your site for you, but are you really going to believe him, are you really going to act on their recommendations? You can't sell somebody something they really don't want - that may sound obvious, but believe me, salës people do it everyday. If you don't think you need a new website, you aren't going to spend the monëy to have one built. So the best way to tell if you need one is to analyze the one you already have, yourself.

Below is a set questíons you can ask yourself. If you answer them honestly, you'll know whether you need a new site or not. After you've gone through the process, ask some colleagues to do the same. See if your answers compare.


1. Does Your Website Have A Purpose?

Every website should have a clearly defined purpose. Having a website just because everyone else has one is not an acceptable strategy. What is your website's purpose?

a. Transactional sales-oriented site
b. Customer service support site
c. How to instructional site
d. Product or service demonstration site
e. Lead generation site
f. Marketing, branding, positioning site
g. Promotional campaign site
h. Viral or buzz creation site

2. Is Your Website Focused?

Too many businesses both large and small use their website as an information junkyard, a dumping ground for everything you do, everything you've done, and everything you ever thought of doing. This won't work. Customers are like children; they want clarity, direction, and unequivocal answers. Your website should be focused on a singular function. URLs are cheap, there is no reason you can't have different websites for every major thing you do, or every marketing campaign you initiate. How focused is your website?

3. How Functional Is Your Website?

Everybody knows that websites should be easy to use, that you shouldn't have to drill-down too deep to find what you're looking for, and of course everything should work. Your website is a communication tool. If your website doesn't work properly, the only thing you're communicating is incompetence. How functional is your website?


4. Does Your Website's Construction Balance Competing Concerns?

Websites by their very nature are a compromise of competing issues. Aesthetics, multimedia, frame construction, HTML, Flash, client-side, server-side, data bases, SEO tactics, information architecture, marketing communication, transaction efficiency all compete for precedence in the design of a site. Are you sacrificing clarity, focus, and communication for SEO tricks and unattainable traffíc numbers? Did you start with an IT solution like a database and build your site around a poorly conceived information delivery system. Does your website's design reflect your sites' defined business purpose or is it a result of secondary technical concerns?

5. Does your website honestly reflect your business personality?

Does your website represent and promote your marketing objectives? Okay, this is a trick question for many small owner-managed businesses. Marketing is not salës. Marketing is about communicating who you are, what you do, and why you do it better than the other guy. Marketing is about image building, branding, and positioning, in other words, enhancing your business personality. Does your website honestly reflect your business personality?


6. Is your Web-presentation integrated into your overall marketing plan?

Too many websites bear no relation to the rest of their business' marketing initiatives. Everything your company does should reflect an over-riding ethos, point-of-view, and personality. If your marketing collaterals don't match your website presentation, you are confusing your audience. Is your Web-presentation integrated into your overall marketing plan?

7. Is content king on your website?

I once had a fairly large manufacturing client ask me to build a website based on a business card and ten 8x10 glossies of discontinued merchandise. This fellow was so paranoid that his competitors would see what he was doing that he hid his products from his customers. This business is now bankrupt. We've all heard the saying 'content is king'. Is content king on your website? Does your website adequately display and explain what you do, what products you sell, and what services you provide? Are there examples of your work? Are there testimonials from your customers? Have you provided information on how to order, how to use, and how to resolve problems? Is content really king on your website?

8. Is your website an experience?

You watch television, you listen to the radio, you read a magazine, but you experience a website. Unlike other marketing vehicles, websites provide you the opportuníty to deliver your marketing message with the full complement of multimedia tools. Websites can stimulate all the senses, sight, sound, and interactive touch in order to communicate and connect with your audience. Websites are not brochures. Visitors shouldn't just see your website, they should experience it. Is your website an experience?

9. Does your website have a distinctive look?

The notion of the flaming animated logo has become a clich� for bad design and style over substance, but that does not mean your website should be aesthetically boring and visually dreary. Your site should display clarity of vision; it should provide functional page layout; its use of colors, type, and static and kinetic visuals should be distinctive and purposeful. Your website should provide a defining "Look" that enhances your business personality. Does your website display a distinctive look that represents your business personality?

10. Do you list appropriate contact information on your website?

I remember going to a meeting with a client who was in the construction business. The Vice President of the company was hopping mad. He demanded his email address be taken off the site immediately. He wasn't going to waste any more time dealing with client emails and inquiries. Websites are all about connecting you to your clients, not hiding from them. If you think you can put your website on autopilot and that a FAQ and Q&A are going to cut-it, you better think again. Does your website have adequate contact information? Do you list appropriate email addresses and telephone numbers for the people responsible for various aspects of your business?

There you have it. Ten questíons that when answered honestly will tell you whether or not you have a website that works and whether or not you need to rebuild.

What's wrong with online advertising?

I had to ask myself this question a few days ago. I'm always working on a project or two, sometimes ten. One thing that concerns me is not how much money is being made on the Internet, but even more importantly, how much is being lost. There are so many possible ways to make mistakes with online advertising.

Unfortunately, just as with banner advertising, many people simply don't know when and how to correctly market themselves online. Here is a perfect example; I had a listener from my podcast ask me if he should buy banner space on a web site recently. The site he wanted to advertise on was receiving 300,000 hits a day. The price was actually very reasonable. The problem was that it wasn't his target audience. He was going to advertise on a site where the visitors were between 13 and 19. The product he was selling is geared towards consumers 21 and over.

Getting back to adsense... Adsense, in my opinion, shouldn't be on sites that sell a product or service. If you owned a store front, you wouldn't place your competitors sign in your window would you? Would you endorse them? What do you think it says to your visitors? It tells them a lot, including the fact that your service doesn't make enough revenues to keep you from having to sell space. It also makes them wonder whether your products or services are of the best quality and gives them an open invitation to check out your competitors. It makes it look as though you are selling out your company and don't take your own business seriously. Besides, would you make more on a sale or on a click? Google has drop the cost per-click pay out, meaning that no matter how cheap your items are or how much volume you move, you are still highly likely to make less money on a click.

You would be better off joining an affiliate program and place ads on your site that complement your service or product than allow ads that directly compete with you. That would come across as more of a service to your visitors. For that matter, just go to websites that offer services that complement yours and strike up a deal of some sort, even if it's just a link exchange. The more you do for your visitors, the better off you will be. If contextual ads go this route, it may be worth it to have them on your site.

Same goes for PPC. I have seen so many do-it-yourself-ers waste money on bad keywords, poorly written ads and an overall misconception of how the process works. I wonder how much Google has made off of poor marketing efforts. People should either hire a professional or have a better understanding of how online marketing works. Just because a new form of advertising comes out doesn't necessarily mean it's a good idea for your business. Don't waste money on bad keywords or ads that will bring in traffic looking for something you don't have or are loosely associated with. Not only will you waste PPC funds, you will also be remembered and avoided by those who may have a need for what you do offer in the future.

Using your blog to get one way links

Blogs are a great tool. They allow you to add new, fresh content to your site. They are also a great way to build readership. Think about all the blogs you read. I'm sure that if you're reading this, you're also likely subscribed to a few or at least check them on a daily to weekly basis. Why? Is it because it is entertaining, informative or both? Blogs have been given a bad name because of splogs. Darren Rowse has a terrffic blog (http://www.problogger.net.) where he posts daily with tips for bloggers. Darren has discussed the "Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers", which consist of tips from highly successful bloggers who tell you what they do and make suggesstions as to what you should do.

So, how does all this help you get one way backlinks. Preferrably, you want people to link to you naturally. The best way to do that is to give them something worth linking to. Let's say I was an MS Office guru. My blog might be about relatively unknown tips and tricks on how to use MS office or for creating calenders and spreadsheets. Many people who work with MS office would be interested in that. They may like the tips so much that they list it on their blog or site.
What makes a good blog? Information? Yes! Consistency? Absolutely! However a great blog has to have its own style and flare. A blog that invites its readers to participate in the post is a golden rule. That's almost a guaranteed way to ensure that people will be coming back for more.

If you want to get traffic to your blog, one of the best ways is to leave comments on other blogs. Keep in mind, however, that it has to be done in a smart way. People can always tell when something is spam, so avoid being so obvious. Limit your posts to those blogs that are at least somewhat related to your blog. If a blog is about automobiles and you try to plug your aquarium business, you'll do more harm than good. Go to blogs that are related and take part in the discussion. The more informative and intellectual your comments are, the better chance your post will stay around long enough to be read. That is how you can start to build your readership. If you can convince people what you have to say is worth reading, they will come and read it.

Regardless of what you do to get people to your blog, the proof is always in the pudding. If you can't keep them coming back, all the advertising and work you put into creating traffic will mean nothing.

Getting listed in DMOZ. Not as easy as we'd like it to be.

The open directory project, or dmoz as it is better known, is the directory many webmasters want to be in. There are many myths and so-called benefits to being in dmoz. Unfortunately, this article will not be about them. This article is to help people better understand how dmoz works and will hopefully give you a better idea of how to submit properly. None of this article is speculation. This has all come from my conversations with the editors themselves, either from their message board or via email.
Here are the basics:

Keep in mind it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to a year or more to get listed. In order to be accepted, you need to meet their qualifications. Some of the qualifications are...

You can't submit a site that is consists of mostly affiliate links.

You can't submit an individual URL from the same site. For example if you submit

www.abc.comn you can't submit www.abc.com/next-page

You can't submit mirror sites. These are sites that are identical to another. (Same content, just different URL)

Do not submit a site that is "under construction" or only partially finished.

Your site can't have any illegal content, child pornography, or advocate illegal activity.

How soon can you expect your site to be accepted into the directory? It can take anywhere form a a few weeks to a year or more. Why so long? Dmoz runs on the steam of volunteers. An editor for Dmoz must make an edit at least once every four months. So, if an editor does the minimum and your number 1000 on the list in his or her category, it may take a while...to say the least. Some editors are more active than others, so their level of commitment can greatly affect the process.

According to dmoz's forum, only 31% of sites are submitted to the right category. How can you get listed faster? Make sure you pick the right category. If you are not sure what your category is, look at other sites in the directory and see where your competition is listed. What happens if you pick the wrong catergory? It will slow your sites' approval.

If an editor has the power to, he will reassign it. If not, it will be left un-reviewed until an editor with the power to move it does so. I also learned that if your site is not listed, 99% of the time it's because your site lacks quality content or content period.

If you go to submit to a category and you see "Volunteer to edit this category", that usually means there is no one assigned to that category you are applying to be in. That doesn't mean it won't be reviewed by someone higher up, but I am sure it will take even longer than usual. Oh, and if you are thinking about resubmitting every week, month or the rumored 3 months, don't. I was told that if your site is in "queue" to be evaluated, resubmitting my cause your site to go to the back of the line. That means you'll have to start from scratch again.

I know this seems like a long complicated process. The editors at dmoz have told me that people should submit their site and forget it.
You can check out their forums and speak with editors at http://resource-zone.com/forum/index.php, but don't expect them to tell you the status of your submission. They won't, and you will not get an email saying that you have been rejected or submitted. It seems like a lose, lose situation, but have patience. The best shot you have of getting listed faster is to be in a very non-competitive category or one that doesn't have a lot of submissions or listings.

Using SEO and other methods to help Brand and Market your business online

With so many new busineses hitting the Internet on a daily business, it becomes increasingly difficult to separate one's company from others. You need to constantly get your brand in front of people. The Internet has not only made it easier for people to start a business online, but that same simplicity has made the competition enormous. The potential to reach millions of people is as close as your own computer. However, many companies don't know the first thing about promotion and branding.

Articles have always been a way to market a business on and off the net. A well written article in a newspaper or a column would generate some business years ago. Today with so much content available and few publications writing articles about specific businesses other than from a strictly newsworthy standpoint, marketing professionals must strive to create well recieved ad campaigns. Articles are still a great way to boost internet businesses and can provide SEO backlinks and anchor text. Articles also help drive in quality traffic. The most important use of articles, however, is to help brand your company. Informative articles are a great resource for the Internet. The better an article is written, the better chances of it being placed on other sites. The article will be viewed as an extension of your company's knowledge, policies and mission, so make it count. Regularly written articles will help ensure not only a steady flow of traffic, but will help get your name in front of more people. RSS has made it easy to not only have your content syndicated but it also makes it easier for people to know when you have new content available.

Organic search is a necessity in today's online business. If your site can rank well for it's key terms, people who search regularly for your type of business will become familiar with your name, which consequently increases your chances of making a sale. You could also purchase paid listings on search engines. If your URL shows up for keywords and paid listing on the same page, it may help push a visitor to your site. The problem is you don't have control over what sites your ads are placed on. It could hurt your brand if your link was found on an inappropriate site. Some search engines like Yahoo have become smart enough to associate a person to a website or a company. A search on Yahoo for my name, Joe Balestrino, returns my site www.mr-seo.com as the #1 position.

Give your business a human presence. The Internet for the most part is just words and images. Letting people associate a name and a face with your company will let then know that there is a person in charge and that he is accessible, whether it is through email, telephone or instant messenger. Letting them know you are there if they need you can be a big selling point.

Podcasting is a new way to get the word out about your company. Podcasting is basically audio to go. People can download the audio files to their computer or ipod. You can provide news about your industry, tips, ideas etc. This powerful marketing tool is growing by leaps and bounds. If your industry doesn't already have a few podcasts, start one. Be the pioneer in your field, or do something that separates you from the others. If it's informative as well as entertaining, you can grow a steady fan base. The fans are a very important resource to you. You can ask them for feedback, concerns or problems they have in your area of business. Sometimes free advice can go a long way. Also, If your make it entertaining and informative enough, people will tell others.

Blogs are a great way to let people know what is going on with your company, offer tips, insights and provide other information. Many large companies use blogs as a way for consumers to see the company on a more personal level. Companies also use it as a way to release information and to acquire feedback.
Another useful tip is to get your logo out there. Some article sites will let you upload an image. Most message boards allow you to use an avatar. Take advantage of those. Message boards are also a great way to get your name and brand out there. Share some insights or help others with their questions. People do get business from message boards.

These are just some basic ways you get get your business and your brand in front of people. This is not an overnight process. Hard work, persistence and a steady stream of quality content will get you on your way to becoming recognized in your field.

Linkbaiting. How hard is it?

Linkbaiting is a big topic for discussion lately. Everyone wants and needs links. We can ask for links, buy links or create articles and submit them for one way links. Linkbaiting is about getting links without doing any of these. Linkbaiting is essentially baiting people in by creating something they want to link to. So, what could we use to bait people into linking to you?

Podcasting: Creating a podcast that discusses news, tips or information on your industry is great baiting tool. Making your podcast unique and consistent is the key to steady stream of new links.

Interviews: These are great. If you could interview someone well known in your industry, that would certainly be worth linking to. For an added boost, do the interview on your podcast and then transcribe it.

Awards: Awards are another way to bring in traffic, though you can't (or at least shouldn't) simply make up an award. It has to have criteria, high standards and most importantly, meaning. If you give awards to everyone who applies, your award will seem insignificant and unimportant. The upside is you can gain a lot of traffic and one way links from award winners.

Tools and games: These will always be popular. Create a new tool for your industry that is legitimately helpful or develop a game related to your industry that is either informative or amusing. Firefox or wordpress plugins will bring steady traffic for a long time.

Content: Content is the easiest of all to create. Articles and blog posts are a great way to go about linkbaiting. You need to use your imagination to make your post compelling. Keeping on top of news and current affairs will help you pick a topic that people are already interested in. There is nothing wrong with piggy backing on some top stories if it relates to what you do.

Video: The is becoming one of the fastest forms of link baiting, in my opinion. Creating a funny or informative video can create quiet a buzz.

Giveaways and contests: These are great for a quick boost in traffic. However, these are also short lived. Giveaways need to have an associated monetary value. Contests, unless they are monthly, will die along with the links after the contest is over.

Blogs and forums: These are usually overlooked as a form of linking baiting, but they are one of the earliest forms of link baiting. Nothing says "link to me" more than a forum or a blog. Proving they have something of interest for the readers.

Guest appearances: This is one I like to use. I like to exchange writings, interviews or ideas with other bloggers and podcasters. Let me post a post on your blog and you can post on mine for a cross promotion. It's a great way to get a link as well. If you have a podcast, exchange advertisements with other casts along with a link on your podcast page.

Lists: List are very popular. Why? Well, because they are a list of something of value that people want, all in one place. I have a list of over 200 article submission sites to submit articles to, directories that you can submit your podcast to for free and free directories to get your site listed on. These are always my most often viewed posts.

Where to set your bait: Press releases and social networks are the best places to cast your line. Make an enticing headline and real in some hefty traffic.
If you try once a week to do some form of linkbaiting, by at least writing a topical post or putting together a lengthy list that readers will find useful, you will see a steady increase of traffic and hopefully links.