October 10th, 2010

For many websites there are a few pages (often including the home page) that have earned the most Google PageRank. Pages with higher authority via PageRank are the best bets for competing on more popular keywords. Selecting and targeting keywords is an art that’s often developed through successful (and less-than-successful) attempts to achieve Google first page organic ranking.

It’s a shame to waste PageRank so it’s arguably especially important to choose target keywords wisely on URLs with existing PageRank. Internet marketers will almost always look at traffic numbers associated with keywords to make keyword selection. Usually they’ll take stock of the level of competition that exists for gaining attention on a particular keyword or phrase. Additionally, it’s also important to consider the PageRank of URLs that currently rank on organic searches associated with the keyword.

For example let’s say your site’s home page has a Google toolbar PageRank of 3, and you’ve identified a keyword/phrase of interest. There’s significant traffic on the keyword and there’s not an excessive level of competition surrounding it. You might say great … we’ve got an opportunity here. But go one step further. Do a search on the keyword and look at the PageRank associated with all the sites with a first page position. If those site URLs have a PageRank of 5 or 6 then it will be hard to overtake them based solely on on-page optimization. You’re going to need more work on off-page optimization to effectively compete on that keyword. However, if there are ranking sites with a PageRank of 3 or 4, and especially if on-page optimization is not apparent, you might be able to compete.

The main point here is to include an evaluation of competing sites’ PageRank in the process of selecting target keywords. Now White House departed Rahm Emanuel is famous for saying “a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.” We say PageRank is a terrible thing to waste by unwise choices in keyword targeting.

September 15th, 2010

Almost every business or company would like to be on Google page #1 in connection with a search on the keyword or phrase most descriptive of their company’s line of business. However, typically only 10 organic search engine results will appear in a given search. An arguable implication of this reality is that worldwide (or domestically) no more than 10 organizations can effectively compete in a given keyword-defined market segment. Just as the difference in importance of the position between #1 and #10 is significant, perhaps even greater is the difference between #10 and #11.

In the classic marketing publication The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout the authors list prominently ‘the law of category’ … if you can’t be first in a category then set up your own category you can be first (i.e., Google page 1) in. For example a local or regional business selling cars is not likely to achieve a Google page 1 ranking in connection with the search word ‘cars’. But competing on the phrase ‘luxury cars’ or ‘luxury cars Denver’ is much more realistic as the competition for search attention on these words is progressively less.

So for those organizations that want to compete online but were not among the first in their respective markets to promote themselves on the internet and achieve a prominent ranking, there are still ample opportunities to position your sites as effective lead generators. One of the keys is to redefine your market (or markets) by trafficked keywords where there are openings. Using the automobile industry example again the search keyword ‘cars’ may get lots of traffic, but buyers of cars are more often focused in their selection of keywords. The keyword ‘cars’ may be attractive in terms of absolute search numbers, but are these searchers the best sales prospect for a local or regional car selling business? Probably not.

SEO is still a viable approach to online promotion and lead generation. Picking your keyword defined market categories intelligently is a good place to start. And remember that markets have a tendency to sub-divide over time so the selection process is an ongoing one.

September 5th, 2010

There are only so many hours in a day/week/month for website owners, SEOs, and other site managers. So it’s a balancing act to divide time between content creation and other SEO oriented activities. So yes, we include content creation as an SEO activity.

Search engine algorithms are predicated on the assumption that better content (i.e., the best websites in their respective categories) will naturally gain more external links based on their superiority. And by virtue of this by-product the best sites will become apparent. In the real world site owners and managers usually need to devote dedicated time to building website content and then also gaining attention. It’s not quite the ‘field of dreams principle’ … build a great site and people will come … but they definitely won’t come if the site doesn’t offer something of value.

So for us we divide time on creating content, on-page optimization, generating off-page attention in the form of links, and of course up-front doing the keyword research and making intelligent choices about which ones to target. So if making your site better by virtue of improving its content is not part of a systematic promotional plan then chances are your SEO efforts will not be as successful as they otherwise could be. As part of any website’s promotional plan make sure someone’s giving attention to making the site grow and get better. In the absence of that any SEO campaign risks being much more push than pull.

October 10th, 2009

In the old days, the days before the internet that is, the marginal cost of setting up a new business was comparatively much more significant. Today a new line of business or branding identity can be created online for a few hundred dollars.

With the barrier to entry so low it’s arguably not worth excessive agonizing over how or whether to set up a new business. A new business can often be set up online for as little as $500. So there’s the school of thought that if the new pursuit passes the first line of consideration then just move forward, do the “right things,” and see what happens. Or there’s the option of spending the next 12 months to write a business plan. Then there’s the ever-popular “paralysis by analysis” approach. 

Internet promotion is highly scalable. Budgets from a few hundred to a few thousands dollars a month are possible. Effective management of the resources available for online promotion can extend the impact of whatever’s available to invest. So either study up yourself as the business owner, or delegate it to a professional.

In the words of American entrepreneur and entertainment icon Walt Disney: “The way to get started is to stop talking and start doing.”

June 27th, 2008

Below is an email I sent off (in a hurry as usual of course) to a prospective client today. What the heck (I’m due for another blog post), I thought I’d include it here, and it does highlight some salient points for consideration.

A great weekend to all …

 

================================

 

Here are a few points to consider in connection with a potential internet search engine marketing program:

1. Internet marketing, in particular search engine marketing, is paradigm breaking relative to conventional interruptive marketing methods because we seek to present prospective customers with a relevant message at arguably the most important time. If someone enters ‘your phrase’ or some other identified keyword into Google or Yahoo, it’s at THAT MOMENT we want to present them with our message … not before and not after. Conceptually this is like science fiction, reading someone’s mind, or the closest we can come to it.

2. [your company] is a startup (small) business with a national (if not international) market. Search engine marketing allows that reach. We can build in geographic concentrations, exclude others, if that’s determined to be best.

3. Whatever budget amount you may decide on I suggest planning on that amount ‘forever’ (or at least one year). The natural (organic) search efforts will be cumulative, a mix of near-term and long-term results. Pay-per-click advertising will give us immediate exposure and we can select what message, where geographically, what we’re willing to spend on each click, etc., etc.

 

Affinity Track Internet Promotion

357 S. McCaslin Blvd.

Louisville, CO  80027

(303) 404-8699

June 18th, 2008

Too often, search engine optimization-marketing is thought of as an event or discrete task, something that’s done at a point in time, and then it’s complete. Actually, as with most other forms of marketing or promotion, it’s an ongoing process.

This misguided way of thinking can be used to our advantage since much of creating competitive advantage in business comes from looking for those spots in the business environment where an inequity or imbalance exists, then acting. If your organization’s business benefits from a strong search engine presence (and today almost all do) then a systematic approach to strengthen your online presence relative to competitors is a ‘sweet spot’ that can be exploited. If competitors are not taking full advantage of the internet (or not doing it well), you can.

So we suggest that business leaders benefit by looking for places within the business environment where they can set their organizations apart from competitors. For many this may include improving their search engine presence. For those who seek assistance with this … well, that’s what we do.

 

Today’s quote:

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. 

- McAllindon

 

Affinity Track Internet Promotion

357 S. McCaslin Blvd.

Louisville, CO 80027

(303) 404-8699

June 16th, 2008

Search engine optimization-marketing tactics may differ depending on whether a local or national audience is desired. Local search engine queries may include a geographic reference … while searches that are not locally bounded may not. Including company geographic identifiers such as the address, zip code, or telephone number in searchable content is often recommended in support of local search.

Our point … to target locally or nationally is not an SEO decision, it’s a business decision, a decision about your target market. It’s important to have your business model/plan clearly established prior to launching any search engine optimization-marketing program. SEO-SEM techniques will conform to your company’s business plan … rather than the ‘tail-wagging-the-dog’ alternative.

 

Affinity Track Internet Promotion

357 S. McCaslin Blvd.

Louisville, CO 80027

(303) 404-8699

June 14th, 2008

How much should a company budget for search engine optimization-marketing? It’s a question we get asked now and then.

The short answer … determine a monthly budget for what your company can invest ‘forever’ (or at least the next year). As long as your company considers the internet to be a primary driver of new leads, exposure, positioning, et. al., then continuous investment in search engine promotion will be helpful.

Most organic SEO-SEM program involve content creation. Created relevant content can ‘live’ on the internet for an extended period of time. Content’s effectiveness in leading prospective customers to your company is cumulative. The more the better. The more relevant the better.

Again. Budget as much as you can indefinitely. Realistic SEO-SEM budgets range from a few hundred dollars per month to tens of thousands. Now that’s a range!

 

Affinity Track Internet Promotion

357 S. McCaslin Blvd.

Louisville, CO  80027

(303) 404-8699

June 5th, 2008

We can think of any number of jargon words/phrases and otherwise confusing terminology that intersects at some level with the discipline of ‘search engine marketing’. Do most business people need to know them … probably not. For many people in business it’s challenging enough to stay abreast of what’s current within their particular profession (not to mention finding time for your family, getting a little exercise now and then, pursuing personal interests, et. al.).

Whether your company can benefit from the use of an internet marketing specialist may depend on several factors. How much does a prominent search engine presence mean to your business? Does your company have the internal expertise and other resources available to systematically promote yourself online? Do you have a plan?

In our experience there’s no one-size-fits-all internet marketing plan that works for all organizations. While our company offers several standard plans, they’re typically used as a starting point in the process of creating a customized program that best fits the needs of each client.

If you’re considering such a program, feel free to request information on our standard services. If it looks interesting, there’s always more to talk about. You can email us at info@affinitytrack.com or call us at 303-404-8699.

 

Affinity Track Internet Promotion

357 S. McCaslin Blvd.

Louisville, CO  80027

(303) 404-8699