Marketing through search engines can be done in usually two ways, namely organic SEO and inorganic SEO. Organic SEO, as the name suggests, is nothing but the natural way for optimizing a website in the search engine pages. Since, this does not involve any sort of monetary transaction, good content of the web page full of creativity and relevance is of utmost importance. Another thing that one should keep in mind while using organic SEO is that, the content should continue to advance according to the need of the people searching the net. Moreover, optimization of this kind helps the websites to achieve a higher order of ranking for a longer period of time. This means that organic SEO has a natural, long-term impact.  However, the only shortcoming here is that one might have to wait for over a month or so in order to “see” the desired results i.e. to get one’s website ranked higher in the search engine pages for a particular search criterion.

Now, talking about inorganic SEO, the first thing that I would like to mention here is; this type of optimization involves a substantially larger amount of money from the respective website owners. The website owners, who aim to attain maximum popularity of their website within the shortest time period, are advised to exercise this artificial form of optimization. In this form of SEO, the website owners pay an amount for making their ads appear on a prominent part of the search results page. Consequently, substantial amounts of inbound traffic are drawn to the website. Compared to organic SEO, this is a bit expensive, and hence, inorganic SEO is best suited to those who can afford an enormous “flow of funds” to be paid for the optimization. Unlike the organic way of optimization, inorganic SEO can bring in the desired results much quicker, but the impact or the effect of such optimization is not that enduring.

People have their own reasons and opinions regarding the debate that which one of these two forms of SEO is more effective. On the basis of the evaluation made on search engine marketing services, both Organic and Inorganic SEO have their own shares of advantages and drawbacks. You can choose any of these services, which you feel suits best with your requirements, strategy and budget. In my opinion, I would say that a balanced combination of both the services could bring in the desired results, wherein, your website can be seen at the highest position of the search engine pages for a longer period of time and also, draw inbound traffic faster.

However, what does that mean specifically? We know that doubling conversion does not necessarily mean you have to double your traffic.

It means that you just have to create more lucrative cross-sections or co-occurrence of keywords (or pages) that appeal to your target audience. This feat is easily accomplished with SEO and within the context of your pages using cross-sections of keywords that will draw an audience based on the content and market focus.

This is the principle of funneling, which implies funneling relevant traffic based on “broad match” and “exact match” traffic as a result of information retrieval. What happens next is pure synergy, a person inputs words, search engine identifies patterns and based on indicators of reputation and relevance return a page from a website.

Considering there are millions of ways for each visitor to arrive at the same page or same conclusion, depending on their personal experience or manorisms. Since no two people are alike (although there are common denominators) each inevitably searches their own way.

Also, since most searches are unique (meaning they have never been executed before) that represents a tremendous opportunity for sites that target low hanging fruit (available keywords) while targeting more aggressive key phrases.

Keep in mind that every word when combined with another word is a potential keyphrase. Also, since you have no control over what a person may type in a search engine to find your website, you essentially do your best based on traditional keyword research tools, common sense and other metrics to gauge popularity and anticipated traffic.

However language barriers, personal preferences and other components of distinction can create hot spots as a website can double as a hub or springboard for other useful content. The gist is, by targeting enough low hanging fruit (root keywords within range), you systematically increase the volume of traffic and potential interactions with prospects.

This is the way a website can showcase a stable increase in traffic each month. By using content as spider bait, linking to more relevant pages in the context of each post and targeting non-traditional, less competitive keyword combinations.

Every top 10 ranking you produce is an indicator of your websites strength to search engines. Eventually your pages become powerhouses and funnel tremendous surges of link juice into different areas of the website which continually emerge is unique and uncharacteristic ways.

The conclusion here is to look beyond keyword research and tap into the raw and latent potential of LSI (latent semantic indexing and phrase rank) within each of the pages in your website.

Rather than looking for links obsessively, focus on capping the link flow and internal linking within your own site to seal up any hemorrhages your website may have. By doing this, your pages become less dependent on external links (granted they have authority).

Create Authority:

Naturally the next question is what is authority, to put it simply, an authority website has a great foundation of useful content. By the merit of the content it attracts a steady base of readers or new visitors.

Create Popularity:

Website popularity toggles authority and trust, so without igniting the proper metrics, you can have solid internal links and great content, but without traffic to endorse your site or a few backlinks from the right places, the time it take to gain authority and trust will take longer.

So, authority is great content, strong internal links augmented by popularity, time and trust. But, before you can develop trust, search engines and people have to know your content exists, which is why building links is important.

Link From Within:

Going back to basics the rule of thumb is build links from within to make inbound links more effective. So, here is one simple tactic we use to manage the way a website ranks.

1) Check you server logs for the keywords or the most searched queries your website received.

2) Identify the most appropriate pages to funnel those keywords. Most websites have one relevant page, if there are two or more then make sure the internal links from the 2nd, 3rd, 4th in line all point to the preferred landing page to funnel link weight.

3) Go back and edit older pages that have sprouted authority or page rank and can rank in the SERPs, one good way to find sleepers in your site is look for pages that are returned from your own site using a link:mydomain.com search command in Google or use our nifty little SEO Tool.

Use Internal Link Self -Referral:

Also, sub folders have a tendency to rank like external sites if you use absolute links in your own site http://websitename.com/page.html instead of /page.html

The point is, once you find those pages, edit the first link in the body copy to the root phrase of the anchor text for the most traffic phrases deciphered from your analytics. By doing this, you are invigorating keywords that have the metric of traffic and creating buoyancy within your own site through an internal linking self-referral mechanism.

This is a particularly great method to create surges of link weight into pages starving from link attrition. If pages do not have a sufficient influx of links, traffic (popularity) then the tendency is for them to wane in the search engine result pages as well.

Reflect to Move Forward:

Here are other posts that provide more in depth strategies about this topic:

• SEO Sleuthing – Tracking Your Progress
• A Great Post About Tilling Keywords from the Past
• How to Create Synergy with On Page / Off Page SEO

Hope you enjoy the optimization tips and thanks for visiting SEO Design Solutions.

The three entities involved in PPC advertising are the visitor, the host that carries the advertisement and the advertiser, who has advertised a product or service on the host website, usually a leading search engine. In this form of advertising, advertisers have to bid on keywords and phrases. Whenever someone searches a product or service using certain keywords, the search result page will feature those advertisements which contain the keywords using which the visitor actually searched in the first place.

The internet is fast becoming the battle ground for business to garner their share of the market. With increasing internet usage, people around the world are searching for all sorts of products and services online these days. It has therefore become important for almost every business to have a significant online presence. Merely having an online presence though will not guarantee business. Websites need to attract traffic and this is where PPC advertising steps in.

PPC advertising is growing rapidly at a mind boggling pace. Its popularity can be gauged from the fact that out of the total amount of money that is spent on search engine advertising, a whopping 81% is spent on PPC advertising. These figures do not come as a surprise to those businesses that have benefited from PPC advertising. There are several success stories of businesses that have been able to make the most out of PPC advertising campaigns.

The key reasons for the popularity of PPC advertising include:

1. The risk involved is low since the investment is minimal.
2. These advertising programs are fast to implement when compared to other media.
3. Advertisers can manipulate ad positions and also control costs with them.
4. Instantaneous results are a good possibility with PPC advertising.
5. PPC advertisements give an opportunity for businesses to test their products for online marketing feasibility.

PPC: A Brief History

Contrary to popular perception PPC advertisements are not a recent phenomenon. They have been in existence for well over a decade now. The term was increasingly heard during the mid 1990s when the dotcom boom happened. One of the companies that pioneered the concept was goto.com which later on was rechristened Overture. In 2003 Yahoo took over Overture. The actual PPC scene began to see hectic activities once Google launched its ‘Ad Words solution to PPC. Almost every major search engine is into this form of advertising these days.

The minimum price for click which is popularly referred to as ‘cost per click’ varies from one search engine to another. It also depends on the competition involved for a particular keyword list or phrase. It is for this reason that particular keywords and phrases are known to cost more on leading search engines.

Steps Involved in an Effective PPC Advertising Campaign

Although PPC advertising can look a relatively simple process, there are several issues that you will need to deal with once you decide on an advertising campaign. From choosing the right keywords to designing an attractive landing page, you will need to take care of several aspects.

A PPC Ad.
Several businesses have taken advantage of PPC advertising to make profits. With proper planning, you can implement a meaningful PPC advertising campaign, which can in turn mean more profits to your business. Let us look at the steps involved in making an effective PPC advertising campaign.

1. Selection of the appropriate keywords or phrases is the first step involved in PPC advertising. Remember, keywords and phrases are the cornerstones of success in a PPC advertising campaign. They are the foundation on which the entire campaign is built upon and developed. If you are already advertising on other media, then you also need to ensure that your PPC advertising campaign also complements them too.
2. Before you implement your PPC advertising campaign, you must first of all decide your budget. Proper planning will ensure that you do not overspend, while at the same time get effective results from your advertising campaign.
3. You must be clear as to who your target consumers are. This way you will ensure that you reach potential consumers through effective advertisements.
4. One way to target your target consumers would be to decide on a niche. Even if your niche market were to be small, a well directed and created PPC advertising campaigns can work wonders for your niche business area.
5. It is not enough if you just advertise and then assume that it would be effective in getting more business. You should constantly monitor your PPC advertising campaign. Always remember that the internet is a dynamic place, where things change very fast. You therefore need to make sure that your PPC campaign is in tune with the changing trends.
6. You must have a close look at statistical reports that are associated with your online advertising campaign. This will help you gauge the effectiveness of your PPC advertising campaign.
7. The best way to go about creating a PPC advertising campaign would be to hire the services of professionals. This is so because they will be experienced in creating the right copy or content for your PPC advertisement. A well written and concise copy can make the difference between success and failure in a PPC advertising campaign.
8. Along with working on your PPC advertisement, you should also simultaneously make sure that your website is attractive and easy to navigate, since your PPC advertisement will be leading web visitors to your website.

This form of advertising ensures a win-win situation of all the parties involved and it is no wonder that it is growing at a rapid rate. With increasing internet connections, the future holds immense possibilities for PPC advertising.

Assigning performance benchmarks for keywords is one way to determine if you are maximizing exposure through the terms your site is optimized for. However aside from observation, knowing how to create the effect is (the ranking) is equally as important.

Planting Organic Keywords for Harvest

Think of your site as fertile soil, it represents pure potential with a clean slate that is completely up to you to determine what you grow (your content) and what type of harvest you can yield from the seeds you plant.

The seeds in this instance are keywords and without optimizing you site for specific keywords, it is like leaving the traffic that finds you up to chance vs. sculpting your site like clay into a masterpiece that has a specific type of intellectual, emotional and visual appeal.

Having the right landing page for each pivotal keyword

Each page is a turnstile or landing page depending on the visitors intent. Based on how orderly you structure information, which keywords the pages contain and the popularity of the page (both within your own site and how other sites link to / endorse it) determines the relevance score it attains for the topic. The higher the relevance the higher the ranking (when combined with other favorable metrics).

For example, if a keyword you elected to optimize with marginal effort returns 20 searches per month is it worth keeping? Absolutely, if you scale the result across hundreds or thousands of keywords with the same effort and those keywords stem into tens of thousands, and each one delivers 20-30 searches per month, then you have systematically increased your base for relevant traffic from search engines. The conclusion here is (1) pick attainable keywords and (2) make sure your site has enough information to qualify as a resource.

The common mistake is to obsess over one competitive keyword or a small range of keywords, instead of targeting an entire category of related semantic phrases. Why limit the potential of your site as well as sacrifice other ripe keyword opportunities that you could acquire (like low hanging fruit) from failing to see the big picture of search engine traffic?

Eat the Low Hanging Fruit

Having studied numerous traffic patterns from multiple sites over the course of years, the sites with the highest conversion focused on appealing to category leaders using multiple synonyms and landing pages, not just a narrow group of keywords. Each piece of low hanging fruit that has your main keyword in it, is a vote that puts you one step closer to the root phrase.

So, before you can own the tree, you must scale the ladder of relevance covering enough of the topics related to the category before your site is adopted in search engines as a source. Semantically, the seeds you plant in your domain (your pages and how you structure and link to them) have far more significance that you can imagine, which is why…

Site Architecture and Internal Linking Matters

The more structured and logical your site architecture, naming conventions, title tags and information are, the more likely search engines are to find, index and allocate that information when people use the search engine to find related information.

Wikipedia has used this strategy to virtually outrank millions of other websites in thousands of markets and categories. If you only need to master one market category, then look at their example and see that the more semantically related phrases you have that comprise aggregate content, the better.

If you structured proper information architecture by creating logical naming conventions and information silos, the only missing ingredient is internal linking, time and external links (otherwise known as link popularity) from other sites.

Website Optimization, Time and Authority

There are two ways to look at content development and chronology (1) for the initial spike of traffic that occurs within 72 hours or (2) the website authority grandfather effect after the search result goes into the dip (falls a few pages) and then comes back with authority to rank for month after month as if it were hard wired into the search results. Personally, I prefer the second type of optimization.

Through (1) constantly introducing and monitoring layers of content based on a keyword or topic, by (2) linking back to relevant pages with the most effective keywords internally and (3) building links to integral sub folders and sub pages through deep linking, this translates to search engines as a website that is a resource for the topic.

Since search engine algorithm is programmed to look at a finite number of criteria, the more favorable your alignment to the criteria it prefers and rewards the better. We touched on why cyclical layering of content based on a theme of information is one preferred method for gaining traction in search engines, but what are some other solutions that can increase traffic and expedite the process of giving multiple keywords and pages full expression?

Building links to sitemaps – This can reinvigorate pages with a history of performance that may have rotated out of the spotlight by giving them a fresh dose of link weight to redistribute as nourishment (like watering a thirsty plant)

Sift through server logs or look back 90 days to compare the quality and volume of your traffic to determine if you can and bring those keywords into a position of power where they can segue exact match and broad match traffic deeper into your site. This can be done through writing a new article, post or page, using a crafty title and linking the pieces together tactfully.

Reinvigorating keywords with a history of performance – If something slipped through the cracks and got pushed back a page or two in search engines, with a few links or building links to your links you can revive rankings from the past that delivered quality traffic with minimal effort (a few links from the right place).

Leveraging trust rank and website authority – You can leverage internal page rank by internally linking old content to fresh content or vice versa. Strong internal links go a long way and not only reinforce the main keywords you want to rank for, but also serve to elevate page rank for pages buried deep in your site.

These are only a few strategies, the key is to use multiple tactics and methods together, until you find the combination that yields the most favorable results. That is the real value of SEO, not the techniques, but having the depth to know which techniques are the most appropriate for the job.

Granted, much like a game of chess, your competition is not always your competitor, it is your own strategy that is responsible for how you overcome adversity or challenge. Ranking in the top 10 for extremely competitive keywords is no different, it just takes more time to see the fruit of your labors, however when harvest time materializes (massive quantities of traffic and conversion), it is well worth the wait.

Should a company outsource its website to a web design company or keep the process in-house? Outsourcing company’s website development to a web design company is popular among businesses. Over 50 % UK companies currently outsource work to a web design company. Outsourcing website development to a web design company is equally popular with small businesses as it is with established companies.

There are many reasons why a company outsources web development to a web design company. Web design and development has evolved significantly in recent years. With the popularity of Web 2 and recent advancements in internet technology, a web design company’s technical expertise can help maximize the internet’s potential.

Every company has its core competence that enables them to perform effectively within their business area. A web development and design firm’s core competence lies in utilisation of latest internet technology to develop an effective web presence for a company however small or large. The quality of website produced by a professional web design company will often result in a stronger and more effective web presence for your business.

Outsourcing has an added advantage for smaller companies. A small company may lack in house technical expertise to develop and maintain a cutting edge website for the company. Larger established companies may not have budgetary but often lack the technical acumen and experience of professional web design companies. Outsourcing is widely accepted as a popular and effective approach to maintaining an effective online presence.

Technology changes rapidly, and a professional Web design company has better knowledge and experience of the technological developments to determine which emerging technologies can be beneficial to your company. As website development and internet technology is evolving at a fast rate, a web design company’s technical expertise can bring many advantages to a business. A web design company focuses on complex issues in order to provide an effective web presence for your company, no matter how small or large its operations.

By outsourcing web development to a professional web design company, a company can concentrate on its core business areas. Outsourcing website development to a web design company also leads to a better quality of website and a stronger web presence. A web design company can deliver a professional web presence due to their expertise in the field which can not easily be achieved by an in-house team.

]]> http://www.webdatasource.com/2008/09/outsourcing-your-website-to-a-web-design-company/feed/ 0 http://www.webdatasource.com/2008/08/can-we-predict-the-outcome-of-the-presidential-election-with-each-candidates-traffic-data/ http://www.webdatasource.com/2008/08/can-we-predict-the-outcome-of-the-presidential-election-with-each-candidates-traffic-data/#comments Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:55:43 +0000 Jason Kincaid http://www.techcrunch.com/?p=21542 Can traffic to a Presidential Candidate's homepage be used to gauge who will win this year's election? Hitwise has published recent data on the traffic both American presidential candidates have seen in the last month (ending 8/23), and while the results don't seem to shed much light on the forthcoming election's outcome, they reveal a few interesting trends. Hitwise has ranked each state by two criteria: its contribution to each site's total traffic, and the the overall likelihood that a user in the state will visit the candidate's site (called the Representation index). If either metric is applicable to the election, it will be Representation Index, which indicates the candidate's popularity on a per-state basis and isn't affected by the state's population.]]>

Can traffic to a Presidential Candidate’s homepage be used to gauge who will win this year’s election? Hitwise has published recent data on the traffic both American presidential candidates have seen in the last month (ending 8/23), and while the results may not shed much light on the forthcoming election’s outcome, they reveal a few interesting trends.

Hitwise has ranked each state by two criteria: its contribution to each site’s total traffic, and the the overall likelihood that a user in the state will visit the candidate’s site (called the Representation index). If either metric is applicable to the election, it will be Representation Index, which indicates the candidate’s popularity on a per-state basis and isn’t affected by the state’s population.

Unsurprisingly, California represents the most traffic share for both candidates, accounting for 13% of Obama’s total traffic and 12% of McCain’s. But both candidates have also seen a similar Representation Index from the state, which means that a similar number of Californians have visited each site. Given the state’s Democratic history, this is surprising – apparently Californians are interested in learning about the opposition. Conversely, in left-leaning New York, McCain’s site has only seen about half as much traffic as Obama’s.

To create a fast loading time it is a very good idea to create a clean and basic HTML page while flash is nice it takes a long time to load and can get very messy at times. A another great idea is to not use too many high resolution graphics try to keep the page clean and simple. Overuse of graphics and effects will cause the website to load much slower than it needs to. A fast loading time goes hand in hand with organization. If one organizes the website nicely then one will be able to create a clean and simple layout that loads quickly. The organization of one’s website determines how long a visitor or user will stay on the website. The user is more likely to read the content on the website if it is well organized. The clean layout design is a a design that actively uses the white space to enhance a website’s appeal. Try focusing on the content of the site, and use fonts that are available on most or all computers. By concentrating on the content of the website it makes things a lot easier for the visitors or users which in turn creates traffic for the website and this causes the website to gain popularity. The golden key to a good web design is one that is professional, content based, and easily accessible.

NewsCred, the news aggregator that ranks stories by the credibility of their source, has launched to the public. Instead of relying on popularity as many social news sites do, NewsCred instead allows users to rate each story, author, and publication’s credibility, which is then plugged into an algorithm to determine the site’s prominent headlines.

Technorati Profile

We originally introduced the site last May when it launched in private alpha. Since then, NewsCred has implemented a number of new features, including a more thorough search, topic-specific pages, and a section for breaking news.

My biggest criticism when I first reviewed the site was the apparently weak implementation of the credibility algorithm, or even the viability of creating one in the first place. Credibility is very difficult to measure, and can often be misleading. News organizations that break news may be less accurate, as tips aren’t always reliable. But is a news source that simply rehashes established information really a better alternative? The site has responded to these issues, among others, by implementing its breaking news section and tweaking its algorithm, but it is still a work in progress.

Because the site has remained private until now, the credibility scores at launch aren’t particularly meaningful, which makes it hard to judge how effective the system will be. But even if the credibility rankings turn out to be ineffective, NewsCred could still be a success. The site offers a clean and intuitive news aggregator that will appeal to users who may not be fond of traditional RSS readers. Similar offerings (that rely on different recommendation systems) include Regator and Socialmedian.

The importance of web design has increased manifold in recent years. Today it is essential for all businesses small or large, local or international to have a professional web site presence for their company.

As the popularity of the internet is sky rocketing web design companies are in high demand. More and more businesses are investing in developing or enhancing their web presence. A traditional website today may not be sufficient to utilise the full potential of the internet.

Businesses today need to establish a long term working & support relationship with their web design company. It is important for a business to form a lasting partnership with their web Design Company in order to ensure their website is able to grow with their business.

A Web design company today offers a much wider service to its clients. A web design company often offers a range of services from web design to ecommerce and online marketing. A web design company can not only assist by designing a professional website for your company but can also assist with establishing your brand online by implementing an effective online marketing strategy.

Online marketing and search engine optimisation is a key focus for a web design company today. When designing your website it is important to work with a web design company that can not only deliver a beautiful design but one that also understands the importance of search engine marketing to the success of a website. An experienced web design company will design a website with search engine marketing in mind and will take the necessary steps to ensure your website can be indexed by search engines like Google with ease.

Web hosting is another area that you should ask your web design company to manage. Although cheap web hosting packages are readily available, they do not include management or maintenance of your website. If your web design company can offer web hosting, it will be a managed web hosting and you will be able to rely for support. In most cases if the web design company that designed your website is also hosting your website; they will not charge for minor enhancements to the website from time to time.

The rise of social media websites today presents new opportunities to market your website to prospective customers. Marketing your website only on search engines like Google may not be sufficient today and you also need to target the many Blogs and Forums within your industry. This is another area where your web design company can help. Many web design companies today offer a managed service where a few hours per month are allocated towards increasing your company’s profile on popular social media websites. Over a period of time this can have a positive effect on your company’s online profile. In spite of the time involved this can be one of the most cost effective ways to establish your company’s brand.

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