Archive for April, 2008

Author: Conrad Salvador

Website Copywriter

Back during the old glory days of Hollywood westerns – it was the hero who always wore a hat that was white, while it was the bad guy who always wore a hat that was black.

In the SEO world, search engine marketing techniques fall into two similar categories. Companies practicing “white hat” SEO know that their work will produce results that are long lasting. While those who practice “black hat” SEO techniques are only concerned with instant and more immediate results.

It is important to understand on what not to do when it comes to smart SEO practices. Black hat SEO techniques fall into this category, because this method incorporates deceptive practices that are not approved of by search engines.

Why face the possibilities of having your site banned?

Know what these practices are, so your site will not suffer a similar fate:

• Hidden text – when text is designed to be part of the background, invisible, and positioned slightly off screen.

• Cloaking – the practice of incorporating poorly designed pages with the sole purpose of redirecting traffic to the main site.

• Keyword stuffing – overloading pages with targeted keywords in the meta tags or actual content.

• Content repetition – the duplication of content taken from another website.

• Link farms – a form of spamming the index of search engines, used to hyperlink a group of websites.

Knowing the differences between good guy and bad guy techniques could make the difference in your site’s long-term goals. Be in the habit of striving for longevity and practice organic search engine optimization. The results may take a little bit more time, but are well worth it in the end.

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Author: April Hall

Directory One, Inc.

One of the most effective ways to increase internet traffic to your website is to incorporate keywords related to current news, weather or entertainment events. Many website content writers simply do not realize the treasure trove that lies in keeping up with current events. With a little creativity, you can work in keywords that relate to political and news events, driving people to your site who may otherwise have never noticed it.

So, how can you use this somewhat “sneaky” strategy to increase your site traffic? Try perusing your local newspaper (or, of course, some internet news sites) for current news stories that may be indirectly related to your company. For example, a popular story on hazardous FEMA trailers can become the ideal article for your environmental consulting company. Or, a news cycle on Senate hearings on drugs in baseball is a clear call for content for a sports equipment company. Just about every business can find timely current events for content material; it just takes a bit of “thinking outside of the box”.

One word of advice for content writers who may be thinking of ways to incorporate current events into their copy: remember to always figure out ways to link readers to other areas of your website. It does you little good to have users take advantage of your current event content if they are not encouraged to further explore your site. Find appropriate opportunities for links to other pages–preferably your sales pages! The ideas for SEO rich content can be almost endless when you look for inspiration everywhere from the tabloid in your supermarket checkout line to the Weather Channel.

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Author: April Hall
Content Writer

In one word: yes.

Many companies are interested in improving their internet presence and have heard of a free way to do this by creating a business blog. It sounds great: a free internet site that is easy to use, easy to change and can basically be about any topic. And a blog really is a great implementation for some companies; however it is usually quite insufficient on its own.
A blog is a website that includes short entries that are posted in reverse chronological order (yes, this is a blog!). Usually the posts are relatively short, which means they are a far cry from actual articles. In order to be effective and maintain a loyal readership, blogs should be updated very regularly-several times a week, if possible. Entries are sometimes an almost stream-of-consciousness endeavor and are written as much for their aesthetic value as they are for any information value. So, blogs can be fun-and can even be an important part of your company’s overall marketing strategy-but are they enough?

In one word: No.

Any company that wants to truly become an internet presence must turn to an SEO-Driven website.  There are over 112 million blogs on the internet, which means the chances of yours building any sort of readership on its own (particularly readership that will translate to customers) is quite minimal. You need to find a way to draw people to your website… People who are looking for your products and services… People who will become customers… This is done through the use of the right keywords and expert content development. Adding a blog to your website may be part of that strategy, but it certainly cannot stand alone and be successful.

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Author: April Hall

Content Writer

It is always fun to look through opinion sites that provide lighthearted (or perhaps not-so lighthearted) op-ed pieces. Finding out how your favorite blogger feels about the latest presidential election or the rise in gas prices is entertaining, and readers know what they are getting when they visit these opinion sites. What is not so fun is to try to search for information on sites that portend to be reputable, only to find out later that their information was completely bogus. If you want visitors to your site to keep coming back, be sure to do some basic fact checking on the content you provide.

There are so many ways to verify your content prior to posting it live. Of course, most of your research will be done on the internet; which means you will need to check your own sources! Some of the more popular sites such as Wikipedia are public-access sites. Public-access means that anyone with an active account can alter the information available to readers. Does this sound like a site that should be used as your sole reference point? Probably not! Try to stick to serious, recognized sources such as professional journals and major news sites. If you use a personal web site as a reference, check the credentials of the publisher to verify if he or she is reputable.

Another way to keep your content polished and up-to-date, yet accurate, is to refrain from using phrases such as “will provide”, “always”, and those types of verbs. Content development companies have learned to use words such as “should provide”, “usually”, “generally” and verbs that instill a vibe of vague ambiguity. Of course, you never want to be ambiguous about the goods and services you provide, if you have a business website! Further, your web development company should have copywriters who understand when this type of ambiguous language is appropriate and when it is not. However, if you are referring to an idea that you are not completely sure about, it is always best to leave a bit of wiggle room.

The old style of copywriting was to speed-publish as much content as possible, making sure to fill the pages chock full of SEO keywords. The new-and more useful-style of copywriting is to make sure that the content is clean, fresh, and factually sound. You may be surprised at just how easily the keywords flow once you have chosen to value facts over fluff.

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Author: Eric Brantner

SEO Content Writer

Working as a website copywriter, I do a lot of reading about the SEO industry. It never takes long for me to find someone badmouthing the industry by calling those in it “SEO snake oil salesmen.” They do this to suggest these companies are full of dishonest people that are pulling the wool over their customers’ eyes. SEO detractors have been fighting vigorously to attach a negative connotation to the term.

SEO is not a money making scheme that belongs on a late night infomercial. It is not a method for scamming the system. Search engine optimization is a multifaceted technique that helps people reach their target audience. True SEO is achieved by creating great content, implementing smart design, and placing a priority on usability. Granted, that is a drastic oversimplification of the SEO process, but this post is not dedicated to explaining the intricacies of search engine optimization.

SEO haters want you to believe that it is enough to have a great product. That could not be more distant from the truth. If you do not employ basic SEO techniques on your website, the audience you are aiming for will never find you. It’s no coincidence that companies using SEO methods frequently rank higher than their traditional counterparts.

It is also a fact that most web sessions begin with a search. The major search engines have methods that determine how they rank websites. Using SEO is a way to help people find the content they are searching for. The confused, bitter people that say SEO doesn’t matter are stuck in an archaic mindset that paints the entire industry with one broad stroke. Saying that SEO is irrelevant is like claiming that a business’ location doesn’t matter. Try selling air conditioners in Antarctica and see how well you do.

I would be lying if I said there are no bad companies selling SEO snake oil out there. Sure there are some, but there are also bad doctors, teachers, mechanics, jewelers, lawyers, and a whole host of other professionals. In other words, every industry has a few bad apples, but to label the entire industry as bad exhibits ignorance on the part of those doing so.

 

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Author: April Hall

Content Analysis

The internet has become so accessible and affordable that just about anyone can create a website and publish content. While this access is great in that it promotes social interaction and idea exchange, it can become somewhat frustrating for readers, who often must deal with blaring grammatical errors and blatantly false statements. One of the most important aspects of quality SEO content is a smooth, easy to read style and the absence of grammatical errors.

If you want to hold readers to your site and encourage them to explore it further, concentrate on relatively short sentences and paragraphs. Long diatribes and paragraphs that require endless scrolling are a real turn-off to the average reader. Most internet users want to find their information, learn a little bit, then move on. Even writers of opinion articles and blogs should keep their writing style in mind, because long rants rarely get read in their entirety. Basically, concise, clear writing broken down into digestible pieces is the best way to get your point across-regardless or if you are writing about forklifts or your opinion on politics.

Finally, remember that most readers’ opinion of you and your organization will come almost entirely from the SEO content you publish. If you want them to have a positive feeling about what you can do, the first step is to make sure that you come across as competent and thorough. Content that is full of grammatical errors or careless mistakes will project a sloppy image and turn people off. On the other hand, well-thought out ideas presented in a professional manner will provide an excellent image of your organization, encouraging readers to discover more about what you can offer them. Of course, unless you are an English major, you may find that you need a little help editing your web content. There are plenty of copyediting and web development companies out there to choose from; just make sure you choose one with a proven track record of success.

Another aspect of SEO writing that is often underestimated is the power of a factual publication, instead of a website full of copy based on opinion or rumors. More on the undeniable power of the fact-check in my next blog!

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