Low Cost SEO And Keyword Phrases for SEO Success
Keyword planning is a creative process that can make the difference between a successful effort to attract internet traffic and one that invests a great deal of time and produces few results. Time invested in keyword research can yield an increase in web traffic and sales and can be an important part of a Low Cost SEO strategy.
As the internet is primarily used for research and information, a couple key questions must be asked early in the process. How would users search? How would they describe the need they are looking to fill?
Common language use relating to the goods and services provided is an important first step. What are the exact words or phrases that current customers would use to describe the product or services provided? How would they research information about the products? How important is customer support? These and many other questions are important to understand when building a keyword phrase designed to attract internet customers.
Usually, keywords are grouped into phrases of multiple words to create a keyword phrase or search term. Two or three words in a given phrase are quite useful. As the optimization plan is created, Google and others offer tools to test possible keyword phrases to find out in advance if a theoretical term would attract traffic.
Small business enterprises should avoid highly competitive terms. After all, a small rural bank would be ill-advised to compete for “internet banking” as it will run up against some of the most aggressive competitors in the world. Look for smaller, product related terms that fewer people would search for, but that the company has a shot at being number one on a search result list. Narrowing the search term is useful in slowly building internet strength and attracting traffic.
Narrowing keywords and keyword phrases into meaningful yet productive terms requires an additional strategy.
The term ‘interchangeability’ refers to a keyword string that can be searched on in different forms. These are valuable terms as they allow the enterprise to attract traffic based on multiple usages of the individual keywords. A good example of this is a web page for a water utility consultant. Using the term “Water Utility Consultants” allows the company to also focus on attracting traffic using “Utility Consultants” and any term that includes the phrase “Water Utility.” This highly useful three-word phrase offers several combinations of words that can attract traffic from the search engines.
A term describing the location where the product or service is available is also important. A small enterprise providing Italian food service wouldn’t enjoy much benefit from a user searching in Atlanta when the business is located in Chicago. Using one of the three keywords to describe the place where the product or service is available can help the search engines return the page for local searches.
Extending the title of blog articles or articles placed within the web page itself is a useful tactic. Keywords that can be easily incorporated into titles make it easier for the search engines to understand what the page is about. Including other words within a long article title expands the ability of the page to attract traffic for other words in addition to the selected keywords.
Consideration of keyword usage in the web traffic plan before implementation can deliver increased traffic without incurring greater expense. Enterprises attempting a growth strategy in the current economy are always cost conscious but still need new customer traffic to increase sales. Keyword research can deliver new customers at reasonable expense.
SEO Consultants Denver delivers Low Cost SEO strategic planning and development and execution to organizations of all sizes and types. Specializing in link building and article distribution, the company helps organizations increase internet traffic and sales. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service
Keywords 101
One of the fundamental tasks for creating a website that attracts traffic from Google and the common search engines is selecting useful and descriptive keywords for your effort. A good term or phrase that accurately describes your product or service or presents the “need” your company serves is essential to building your website into a sales and marketing tool. SEO Consultants in Denver have been through this process before and have developed the following guidelines to help small business and start ups select keywords that get results.
At start up, most enterprises don’t invest time in researching what keywords would work for the organization. That or the process is simply not accomplished. As keywords help search engines to understand the content of your page though, ignoring keyword selection may mean turning away visitors and customers from your business website.
Keywords are essentially descriptive terms – usually single words or a couple of multi word phrases – that describe what the business page is about. Keywords are stored in ‘metatags’ on the web page and aren’t generally seen unless a user views the source code for the page.
The more important function of keywords though is that they describe the business as well as page content. Keyword phrases that appear within the page provide assurance to Google and the other search engines that the keywords accurately represent what the page is about.
Once useful keywords and terms are identified, they should be installed within the page title, headlines and placed wherever reasonably possible throughout the text of the page. Be careful about overusing keywords in the text though. This practice can be considered ‘keyword stuffing’ which is frowned upon by most search engines. The search engines can then devalue or remove the page from their index, so use keyword phrases appropriately within the page text.
There are many processes for selecting appropriate keywords. Google offers a tool that will read an already constructed page and offer ideas of what keywords might be appropriate for it. (This tool is part of the Google Adwords tool suite.) This tool is useful when one is unsure where to start in the keyword selection process. There are however, some things to avoid.
Avoid keywords that have a great deal of competition in Google Adwords. The same Adwords tool will display how much competition there is for a keyword or keyword phrase. Although not universally true, these keywords take longer to compete for and to rank well – especially for newer pages.
At the point you identify a good keyword or phrase, use it in a Google search. If major corporate websites are returned as the number one result, you may want to keep refining your keywords. Companies such as Bank of America are not going to let go of their dominant search ranking position easily. (Having said that, there are ways to compete with the big boys, so keep reading.) At the outset, one probably wants to avoid going head-to-head with major companies for broad and popular search terms.
Keyword identification is an ‘artform’ unto itself. Discovering or creating accurate and descriptive terms and phrases that many people search for, but for which not many big companies compete is a difficult chore. The Google Adwords tool is probably the best ally in this search.
It should be noted here that the traffic number provided by the Google Adwords tool is not an exact number. These should be used for comparison purposes only as they provide a comparative measure of the search activity that some terms receive.
One of the biggest allies you have in the selection process is creativity. Including things like geographic terms or city names in the keyword string help set your page apart from those of major corporations. Local customers in need of services generally include a geographic parameter within the search, such as ‘Banks in Birmingham.’ This is much more descriptive than simply searching for ‘banks.’ Big corporations generally compete very poorly on a local level for business traffic, so this could be an opportunity for a local business to elbow its way into the local market for providing goods and services.
Flexibility in working with keywords is also helpful over the long term. Some keywords may have to be abandoned if they fail to generate sales and traffic. As the study of consumer behavior is a bit of a guessing game, the web page operator may have to execute quite a few trial and error scenarios before getting one that attracts internet traffic. And for the start up or new business enterprise, searching for effective keywords may not take place quickly.
SEO Consultants in Denver brings years of experience in link building, keyword selection and website optimization to assist businesses compete for new or start up revenue. SEO Consultants Denver quickly achieve top page search engine rankings even for new or start up pages.
On Line Selling Tactics for Products and Services
Selling products and services on line via the internet has become the main method of recruiting new customers. Attracted by low overhead sales costs, organizations have chosen on line marketing as the preferred method of competing. Many companies stumble in marketing their products though, by producing only main company web pages that they hope will attract new business. Prospective customers generally search for specific products though, and may not find the company web page when researching purchase of a new product.
Search Engines such as Google and Yahoo! catalogue most company web pages and all their sub-pages so that when customers ask them to find information, the search engines can offer them as possible results. Search engines have become such a powerful sales generation tool, that many companies invest in the process of ‘optimization’ so that their website will appear when customers are researching a purchase. And getting in front of a prospective customer during the buying process is of course essential to making sales.
Major companies have further determined that increasing on line sales can be accomplished by posting individual web pages within the main website that focus on specific products or services. This strategy works well for companies that have a diverse product or service offering. Selling on line then involves optimizing each product page within the website environment to maximize exposure on the search engines. SEO Consultants in Denver optimizes company product pages to increase sales for its clients using this methodology.
Independent Insurance Agents provide a good example of how product pages can be used. Most agents provide a variety of products and services ranging from retirement planning to life insurance sales. There isn’t a practical way to combine all the products and services provided into a single, well-optimized web page, so the agent would be well advised to optimize the pages that describe his individual product and service areas. This also expands the number of pages within his website that can compete for different types of search engine traffic.
Separating the pages according to product or service line usually won’t attract additional reader or internet traffic though. The individual product or service page must be optimized separately, just as the main page would be. So, following completion of the product or individual service page, there are still a couple of necessary tasks to turn the individual web page into a powerful sales tool.
- Develop unique keywords to support the product – Establish Link-Building Strategy for each page
Keyword Strategy – Developing unique keywords for each page is important because once these keywords are identified, they must be applied to the page title, headline and tactically inserted into the text of the page. In keeping with the Insurance Agent example, a page describing retirement products might take the form of something like “401K management in Cleveland.” (Although this is far too general, it is just provided here as an example.) The specific product as well as the geographic area the agent primarily serves are all included in the keyword string. Using this phrase in the page title, again in the headline and within the copy should help search engines understand that the page is about 401K products sold in the Cleveland, area.
Link Building – Getting other sites to link to link to the product page is probably the most time-consuming part of the optimization process. However, the value of links that point directly to this page and bypass the main page can be extremely valuable. Linking to product pages is also termed ‘deep linking’ and allows internet users to get exact product information without having to journey through the company’s main website and pick his way through the site to find important information.
Investing the same effort in optimizing individual product pages as the main page can really pay off. Although it can take several weeks to see traffic directed to a page dedicated to single product or service areas by the search engines, these product pages provide the bits of information prospective customers seek prior to buying. To increase sales of your product then, optimize each product page to compete for reader attention on the search engines.
Denver SEO Consultants assist organizations of all sizes increase income and improve on-line sales by attracting new customers via the world wide web by attracting internet users to well optimized web pages. Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.
Article Composition As A Small Business Marketing Strategy
Pursuing new sales on a budget is a common challenge, especially during difficult economic times. However, sharing one’s expertise in the form of an article distributed to other websites across the internet is a proven method of attracting sales and building internet strength and is a key part of a Low Cost SEO strategy.
Sales Managers, anxious to get their field officers to produce sales, want their staff to be trained in the product or service industry and then hit the road to prospect for new business just as quickly as possible. This tried and true methodology works for some, but it carries a significant investment of time and money to maintain and frequently generates a poor rate of return. When the sales team takes a day off, the company receives no exposure and isn’t getting its message out to prospective customers. Direct mail pieces and telephone solicitation usually produce new sales only when the prospect is contacted during the part of the buying process when he/she is researching product or service information.
Prospects usually begin the buying process by looking for expert advice on how best to solve their problem or meet their current need. Of course the most useful method of research is the internet. Placing articles where readers can easily find them during their pre-purchase research then allows the company to make its case for why the reader should explore the value of a company’s products and services.
Any accomplished salesperson will testify that relationships and trust are the cornerstones to any good business relationship. Articles available on the internet that provide value and demonstrate industry expertise provide a great reason for a reader to invest time in building a new relationship. After all, a businessperson wants the best assistance and quality for the best price regardless of the purchase. Articles that establish company quality and offer the reader a strong value proposition can attract new business to the organization.
Among other advantages of using Article Distribution to promote a company and its website include the fact that this method is relatively less costly than other forms of advertising and can work harder over time to deliver the value proposition. There is always a ready wealth of stories and article material in most organizations. Current clients can be asked for testimonials around which an interesting article can be composed. With some creative effort, a great deal of article information can be gathered and compiled into several meaningful compositions.
In addition to building credibility and trust, article marketing has several other benefits, including: Setting Links – Hyperlinks that are embedded within the article content provide a link back to the company website from wherever the article is eventually posted. These back links are a very important element to the Search Engine or SEO strategy. The more links, the better the company web page will perform on the search engines. Brand Identity – Successful delivery of product or service value to one’s clients can establish the organization as a reliable business partner in their industry or field. Expertise and Confidence – Case studies can show how the company is an expert at solving industry problems or meeting others needs.
Of course the big question about Article distribution is composition. Articles need not be long – anything around 500 words is useful, and each piece needs at least one bit of value or wisdom that can be easily explained.
Investing the time to compose an article is a challenge for many business operators. Another challenge is distributing them once they are written. Several article posting or distribution sites are available either for free or at a fairly low cost to help with distribution. When an article is written and distributed though, they are posted with embedded links onto other sites around the internet world on blogs and article sites. When the article is posted on another business owner’s blog, the company earns credit for the links embedded within the article as well as achieves an opportunity to reach out to new customers.
Interestingly these articles have a very long ’shelf-life’ as posts from several years ago are still available for research on the search engines. Email messages sent out as part of a campaign are easily deleted and brochures can be quickly thrown away. A well written article though, can live for many years on other blogs and sites and can be found much later when consumers are undertaking product research. The benefit of putting out a lasting message, combined with the low cost of article marketing makes this process extremely useful in establishing new customer relationships.
Matthew Stone, President of SEO Consultants in Denver provides consulting services to improve sales and improve revenues for clients across the country. SEO Consultants Denver help companies with article marketing and distribution, link setting and product page marketing.
Any Business Type Can Profit With SEO
Utilizing common search engines such as Google and Yahoo to attract new business could be just the plan to increase sales. Global companies invest heavily in optimizing their web presence so that company web pages will be more likely to attract viewer traffic from prospective clients. Search Engine strategy though, is not only for large companies. Businesses of any size can use SEO strategies to win new customers and attract internet traffic.
What types of organizations or companies can effectively use Search Engine Optimization and Marketing processes? Simply put, any organization can use the technologies and techniques of SEO to attract visits and customers. There are differences among organizations though, that should be considered when crafting an SEO strategy.
There are factors that need to be considered when developing an SEO strategy. Different organization types generally require different strategies, so before taking on an SEO effort, take these questions into account. Is your business:
Small or Large? Local or National? Product or Service Oriented (or both)?
The answers may help guide your SEO planning:
Small or Large? Companies of greater size generally invest in Search Engine plans, but these can be very expensive. Large companies usually compete on a product or service level that requires presentation of a great deal of information. Optimizing this information generally requires the company to break down individual products and services into separate product pages so that each might be optimized to attract a specific type of customer.
Smaller businesses don’t have anywhere near the SEO budgets found in large companies. Still a website is highly effective for these enterprises if it can be focused on the unique qualities offered. Location, understanding of local buyer behavior and local support or service can all be inexpensively presented on the web page as unique assets or advantages that the local company provides. People prefer to buy from people they know. Small companies can present ownership information and make local buyers comfortable with the business relationship much more than large companies. This can be a huge advantage over the mega-chains.
Local or National Company? Large companies usually have the benefit of a central web site with lots of established traffic and link value. These companies can afford to utilize keywords that attract a lot of search traffic and competition. A well optimized internal page focused on these keywords can frequently return a great deal of traffic by itself. Large companies can also invest in ‘product pages’ or pages dedicated to a certain product type and focus on keywords relevant to that product’s use.
Organizations that do not have existing high-traffic websites require a different strategy. Link building in particular needs to the central focus of the SEO plan in the early stages to get the website recognized and indexed on the search engines. Further link-building then establishes the page as significantly relevant. Link building differs from large SEO projects in that they should include a location parameter or value for the local business. Searches for “refrigerators” will return links to websites owned by major manufacturers. Searches for “SEO Consultants in Denver” will return pages for local SEO consultants in the Denver area. Larger firms typically do not compete effectively on a local level, so this could be a significant advantage in drawing relevant traffic.
Product or Service? “Value” is the central theme here. Product pages handle a great deal of data regarding product specs, features and service availability. Product sales organizations then focus on these features and upon the value of the product.
Service providers must rely on creating a value statement to characterize and quantify the value of the service provided to customers and clients. Saving money or time with the service is a good economic argument to present, but in the end, service companies have to state and restate the value of what they provide in terms customers can grasp. Service web pages an often focus on key phrases that customers would commonly use in asking questions.
Search engines are the primary method cnsumers use to research product and servic einformation. These engines are so highly used by prospective customers that any company can make use of SEO to attract new sales. However, each organization requires a specialized strategy to make it all work effectively. Developing and implementing an efficient SEO program requires a differentiated message strategy and roll out of a unique SEO plan for that company.
SEO Consultants in Denver helps businesses win new clients using the search engines. Find out more about Low Cost SEO in Denver! Also published at Any Business Type Can Profit With SEO.
categories: Search Engine Optimization,SEO,Search Engine Marketing,Link Building,eCommerce,eBusiness,B2B,Business,Sales,Marketing,Selling,Revenue,New Business,Customers
Build More Links With a Deep Linking Strategy
One of the more common bits of knowledge in the SEO business is the high degree of importance placed on external links that point to your page. The more links directing internet users to your page, the more ‘votes’ or strength your page enjoys with respect to the search engines. The more ‘votes’, the better your page ranking on search engine results.
There are many ways to set those links however, and some methods have proven highly effective in both directing new reader traffic your way, but also in improving your placement on search results. Setting these links either in blog comments or articles marketed to directories and other blog sites requires some thought. Most SEO efforts focus on setting links to the main landing page, but miss huge opportunities to focus link attention elsewhere in their web environment.
“Deep Linking” Web environments are usually comprised of several pages, including the main landing page as well as other detail pages. Organizations will frequently include product pages or pages that are dedicated to a specific product group or family. Optimizing the product page for a unique set of keywords and terms related to the product can attract additional traffic from the internet search engines. Linking directly to these pages is termed a ‘deep link.’
For example, a small business providing something like motor scooters and parts might then also have an ancillary business selling things like clothing, helmets and safety gear made for those that ride motor scooters. The savvy businessperson would then build a page in support of that product line and optimize it for terms like “motor scooter safety gear” or “scooter helmets.” This leaves the main page to serve terms similar to “Motor Scooters in Seattle.”
Advantages of Deep Linking As many small business owners only pay attention to traffic to the main page, deep linking can offer many additional opportunities for attracting readers that are interested in specific product and services. Optimizing product pages and setting ‘deep links’ then allows the owner to compete for viewers and customers interested in that specific line of product. Search engines then understand some of the detail included in the business website as well because the pages, links and anchor text can all be configured to communicate the same product message.
Some newer enterprises have adopted the strategy of setting ‘deep links’ prior to engaging in a campaign to set links for their main page. By exploiting a small product niche, the company is able to attract some viewers, build some familiarity with the search engines and then go after more competitive phrases with their main pages. This seems to be the reverse of standard SEO methodology, but has been known to produce results.
Setting Anchor Text for a Deep Link Setting deep links really is no different as setting links to the main landing page. The first task is to identify useful keywords and phrases, optimize the ‘on page’ elements including title, tags and content. After that, external links directly to that page are set using anchor text that mirrors the selected keyword phrases. Because the keyword phrases for a deep linked page will be quite different from those selected for your main page, this expands the opportunity to reach customers searching for different information. (Of course this sounds much easier in concept than it is to implement. The time required to execute an SEO campaign can be significant. )
When blogging or embedding links in articles, use those same keywords to label the link. In other words, a link similar to “scooter safety helmets” that pointed to the scooter safety helmet page that contained the “scooter safety helmet” phrase in the page header and within the content, will help search engines understand that the page has information on scooter safety helmets.
Linking directly to the product pages is an important aspect of effective Search Engine Optimization. Most article posting sites allow the author to set a link or two within the text or within an author’s box. When others publish your page, they also publish your links, so article distribution can greatly enhance the number of links out in the universe that point to places on your website. One has to be a bit creative about wording and working in the anchor text to the content of a blog post or article. But once done, those deep links can generate significant traffic and sales over time.
SEO Consultants Denver design and create unique SEO plans to assist organizations increase revenue and drive up sales. For more information, please visit the SEO home home page or review the Denver SEO Consultants Blog. Start earning more income today!
