Making Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Work for You

 
Now that my art website is up and running – somewhat – it’s time to focus on making the Internet work for me – and you. My expectation is that by using all the options available, to the degree that they fit my business, I’ll be able to drive traffic to my website and generate sales.

Using Keywords

One of the easiest things to do is to incorporate key words into your website’s Title Tags or Meta Tags. If you’re using a web designer, this is easy; just tell them what to change.

If you’re building your own site using templates provided by a hosting service, it’s not much harder. For example, JustHost, which hosts my website, has a video tutorial titled How to Set Meta Tags which walks you through the whole process, and it really is easy.

The hard part is deciding what keywords to use. In a recent post titled Use Google AdWords to Increase Website Traffic I touched on the subject. The important thing is to do some research first to get an idea of what words will work for you. Then, review them regularly to see if there’s anything new you might add to keep your site high on search engine lists.

There are no hard and fast rules for this, you just have to experiment and see what works for you.

Create a Blog and Use It Regularly

Search engines regularly search for new content among the millions of websites, blogs, forums, and social networking sites on the Internet. It’s easy to get lost, but a blog that’s updated frequently – a couple times a week at least – will push your website up the list.

Content is important as well. Your blog shouldn’t be promotional. Readers are interested in information they can use. Of course, if you can integrate your product or service into an informative post, that’s just gravy. Just be sure you’re providing information readers can use.

Leverage Social Media       

At its most basic, social media is any user-generated content, whether it’s blog posts, videos, Facebook pages, or any other content created by users rather than by the owner of a site. You can take advantage of social media by creating your own pages and profiles on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and other sites and link to your business website. Adding friends to your social network extends the reach of your marketing activities.

Send Out Press Releases

Press releases will create visibility for your business in news results and regular releases will increase your standing with search engines. Just remember that to get coverage, they must be newsworthy and follow the same public relations rules on the Internet that you would using more traditional channels.

I know I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: The old rules of marketing still apply. To be successful, all we need to do is leverage them in the new media we have available.

Use Google AdWords to Increase Website Traffic

 
New marketing opportunities are appearing on the Internet at lightning pace, but one that’s been around a long time and has proven its value is Google AdWords.

What is (are?) AdWords?

AdWords is a program from Google (obviously!) that allows you to quickly and easily create and run online ads for your business. These ads are then displayed, along with search engine results, when the key words are searched. When clicked, the link takes readers to your website, so you know that viewers are already interested in what you’re offering. They’ve “self-selected.”

As a side note, this is a fantastic way to inexpensively test marketing and advertising ideas and every search engine I’ve seen has a similar program – they have to make money somehow!

How Does It Work?

AdWords is a “pay-per-click” program. Which means that, aside from a small activation fee, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.

There are a variety of ad format options to choose from, including text, image, audio, and video. You can also easily track your ad performance using the reports available in your account, which is critical to maximizing the return on your AdWords investment.

First, you select the words you want to use. Google walks you through the process and even makes suggestions.

Second, you write the ads and set up campaigns and ad groups to help you evaluate each keyword and ad.

Third, you determine a maximum cost-per-click – the maximum you’re willing to spend for each click. You can also choose to pay by number of views rather than clicks. There are some situations where this is a good solution – like market research – but since you’re trying to drive website traffic and sales, you’ll probably want to only pay for traffic to your site.

Finally, measure, evaluate, and test. Google provides analytics to help you figure out what’s working, then you can modify your program and try new options. Remember, it’s all about generating the maximum return on your advertising investment.

There’s More…

AdWords can be a very useful tool in search engine optimization as well. The ad words that generate the highest response and traffic to your site should also be included in the “meta tags” or “title tags” on your site. These are words or phrases that are on your site, but are hidden in the code so they don’t appear as part of the site design. Search engines use them extensively to rank your site – which determines where it appears on searches.

For example, if I search “Jeff Bacon” my first result usually appears on page three or four. Apparently, there are lots of other Jeff Bacons out there – who knew? However, because of my blog, if I enter “Jeff Bacon Marketing” I’m usually the first four or five results on the first page – exactly where I want to be. Now, if I could just get that kind of response with other key words…

The important thing about Internet marketing is to drive website traffic. It’s just like having someone walk into your store; they’re already interested in what you have. Now you just have to sell it to them.