Tag Archives: marketing
How Not to Do SEO in the Age of Penguins and Pandas
In light of Google’s recent major updates, Penguin and Panda, it’s a shame to see how many questionable Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) “experts” and agencies are still risking their reputations and doing more harm than good to clients by attempting to use dodgy techniques to boost site visibility and traffic. They are demonstrating precisely the kind of behaviour that Google and other search engines have been aiming to eliminate.
To avoid ending up in search engine black books, steer clear of dubious schemes and methods, and use only genuine, tried and tested means to enhance your website’s SEO credentials. If looking for ideas and inspiration, visit blogs and forums with a good reputation in the marketing world, such as Econsultancy, SEO Moz, and Graywolf’s SEO Blog.
If you have the budget, don’t hesitate to hire a team of professionals for the best results. This form of marketing is worth investing in so don’t be tricked by low prices. Quality services don’t come cheap.
In brief, the Google Panda update was launched to penalise websites that look and feel “spammy”, while Penguin deals with sites showcasing an unnatural looking backlink profile.
Copy
Long gone are the days when websites stuffed with keywords outperformed others in search engine results pages. This will actually damage your website’s performance rather than improve its chances.
To help realise the severity of this faux-pas, put yourself in a site user’s shoes. It’s very easy to tell when copy has been written for search engines rather than the human eye. This really doesn’t leave a good impression on most customers, and is likely to result in a high bounce rate.
Linking
Diversity has never been as important, and natural diversity at that. Paying for links and getting involved in link farms is to be avoided at all costs unless you fancy getting penalised by the likes of Google who can now smell dodgy scams from a mile away.
Instead, time should be invested in developing relationships with bloggers whose backlinks can mean a lot to sites of all proportions. Though a somewhat aged method, it’s also still worth submitting sites to credible business directories.
Social media strategies can greatly assist in acquiring natural backlink profiles as people share content according to their interests.
SEO must also consider internal linking structures. Similarly to keyword stuffing, internal linking musn’t be exaggerated either. Again, put yourself in a user’s shoes to see whether a link seems natural, and whether the anchor text fits the context. Awkwardly positioned internal links stand out like a sore thumb to both users and search engine spiders.
Make the Most of KC Search Engine Optimization
Reaching out to the local customers in your Kansas City marketplace is easier when you hire an Internet marketing firm that is familiar with how to reach that diverse audience. Not only is important to reach the consumers in Kansas City, but you also need to reach people in the neighboring communities of Roeland Park, Riverside and Mission as well. You do not want to limit yourself because you want to be able to explore every revenue option possible.
There are several advantages to hiring an Internet marketing firm that is based in the KC area. Whether you are trying to market your products to the administrators of the Providence Medical Center or the people who run the Childrens Museum of Kansas City, you need to know what keywords are being used to do searches in the local area. Regional keyword optimization is a skill that is best served by people who live in that local area. That is why a KC-based SEO firm is a good investment.
Another reason to go with a KC firm is because that firm will understand the local lingo and know what kinds of terms people use to refer to products. If you are trying to market soft drinks to the people of Kansas City and you are calling it soda while the consumers are referring to it as pop, then your message may get lost. This is especially true when you are dealing with Internet search engine terms for locally manufactured products.
The professionals that work out of a KC search engine optimization organization are also going to know how your local marketing can work in conjunction with national marketing to expand your audience. Some of the terms and phrases that may be popular in Kansas City may not work well in New York City or Boston. A professional marketing firm is going to be able to analyze these differences and come up with a marketing plan that will work.
When the time comes to get the most out of your companys website, it is time to get professional marketing experts involved. You can reach a KC audience much more effectively if you work with an organization that understands the intricacies of reaching a local audience as well as a national audience. You can expand your exposure and increase your revenues when you decide to work with the right kind of marketing professionals.