Internet Marketing and SEO

A blog is the perfect place to create new content about your products and services. It is a place to talk about the latest news from your industry, upcoming product innovations or the release of a new product. Remember that a blog is not a place to sell; it a place that allows potential customers to seek additional information. This is the best marketing tool to share your knowledge and expertise.

2. To provide more information about you and your company

A blog is also the place to go beyond the marketing message. Share information on the manufacturing process, tell a story about your founder or talk about your company’s values and how your work conveys those values. The idea is redefine the traditional relationship between the customer and the business. Introducing other aspects of your business to your customers creates a human element that inspires their confidence and trust.

3. To initiate conversation with customers

All blog platforms offer the opportunity to respond to comments. They also offer the opportunity to prohibit such comments. Do not be tempted by the simplicity! Let your visitors comment on your articles and interact with them. Take the time to answer all comments, positive or not. This will demonstrate your commitment to customer service!

4. To develop a dynamic and sustainable customer relationships

Once in place, your blog can serve to attract new customers while offering new and updated services to existing customers. Employ your blog as a resource guide: describe the characteristics of a new product, act as guide to your own products and services and answer frequently asked questions. This way, your blog will become a reference site that your customers can consult at any time to quickly find answers to their questions.

5. To generate traffic to your website

As your blog evolves, the number of visitors will increase. It is with your own content that you will demonstrate that you are an authority in your field. That content will attract the confidence and trust of prospective customers. To generate traffic to your website, make sure you have an “About Us” section or a short biography on the homepage of your blog. In addition, when writing articles, include links to your website when the information contributes to the content of your site.

Like most businesses, you are aware that the Web can bring great opportunities to improve or facilitate sales and customer relationships. You also know that there are new, easy to use and affordable tools to help you get there. But like most businesses, you don’t believe you have the time and you put off Web projects. Well in 2011, the procrastination is over and it’s time to get serious!

Before making changes to your website or planning your Internet marketing strategy, here are some questions to consider:

1. What is your main objective on the Web?
2. Who are your potential customers on the Web?
3. How do your clients find you?
4. Is your website providing the right information?
5. Is your website is easy to use?

Once all these questions are answered, you can set objectives for your internet marketing campaign. Here are some additional questions to consider:

1. How to monitor your site traffic as it relates to your objectives?
2. How to increase traffic to your site?
3. How to improve your search engine ranking?
4. How to use social media?

Although you can do all this internally, the fact remains that using a professional is recommended. Achieving your goals on the Web can be a long process, if the right questions are not asked at the outset. Also, with the wide variety of products available, it can be easy to get lost. The thing to understand is that your company needs a Web presence but it must be a well planned and optimal presence.

Today, I would like to briefly return to the fundamentals of SEO or Search Engine Optimization. The starting point for launching an effective SEO strategy is to understand how your customers find you. In other words, what words could your potential customers use to find you? Here, it is necessary to understand the importance of adapting your thinking to that of the user. Very precise and technical words are fine for experts but what about regular users? Keywords and key phrases are the first thing to consider when trying to reach the right audience.

To find the right keywords for your business:

1. Determine who your potential customers are
2. Make a list of all words that come to mind
3. Research the web to find other keywords
4. Look at what your competitors are doing. The idea here is to learn from others or learn from their mistakes and not repeat them
5. Try your keywords to see if the results are relevant

Once you’ve found the keywords most relevant for you, use the tools at your disposal to determine if they generate enough monthly searches.

Several free tools are available online:

1. www.google.com/sktool
2. www.wordstream.com/keywords

Once you know the number of monthly searches generated by your keywords, you will be able to make a final choice.  Remember that this research can take some time. Several companies are now specializing in keyword analysis, competitive analysis and Web market analysis. These experts will guide you and give you ideas to help you achieve the best results as quickly as possible.

Don’t forget that the choice of keywords is only the first step in a SEO strategy.  You must then create SEO content, optimize your website, analyze the results and keep a constant eye on the competition. Otherwise, your keyword efforts will be unproductive.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is vital to ensure the visibility and popularity of your website. Do you know that patience is also required when using this type of marketing tool? The results of SEO are usually seen 4 to 6 months after implementation. The wait is worth the effort since it has been proven that internet users put more trust in sites that are among the top results of search engines.

To help accelerate the SEO results, Google AdWords can be very useful. With Google AdWords, your ad appears at the top and to the right side of the search engine results. While users now know that these are paid links, the fact remains that in this position your ad is immediately visible. By combining the two strategies, SEO and pay per click advertising, you are sure to be seen faster on the first page of search engine results.

The best times to use Google AdWords are generally:

• when launching a new website
• during your busy season
• when you have a promotion or new product

Here are some advantages and features of Google AdWords:

1. Immediate posting; within hours, your ads can appear on the Google search engine and be visible to potential customers.
2. Relevance and focus; you can target your ads based on the interests of your customers, geographic location, language and other demographics of Internet users.
3. Monitoring of daily expenses; you have full control of your advertising spending. You set a daily budget which can never be exceeded.
4. Return on investment (ROI); since you choose how much you are willing to pay for a click or an impression, it is easy to know how much you earn from each of these marketing efforts. This data is available almost instantly so you can make adjustments and respond quickly to ensure the success of your campaign.
5. Increased traffic to your website; thanks to Google AdWords your potential customers will find your ads directly on the first page of search engine results.

Today, the majority of our important purchases are preceded by an Internet search. People will search the Internet, find your Web site and quickly form an opinion. If it’s a favourable opinion, the chance they’ll contact you is high, but the exact opposite is also true. However they still need to find your Web site… To do this, local search engine optimization in your Internet marketing strategy can prove very useful.

In fact, when was the last time you used a paper directory, like the Yellow Pages? What’s more, according to recent data, 60% of businesses prefer to work with businesses in their region. As well, search engines are giving more and more priority to local searches. This illustrates the importance of integrating local search engine optimization into your Internet marketing strategy.

To make the most of local search engine optimization for your business, here are three ways that can help you:

1. Plaster your physical address

To limit the amount of searching by Internet users on your Web site looking for your geographical location, write your complete address (number, street name, city, postal code, province, phone number, everything!) on the bottom of each page. This lets people find you quickly, without losing precious time searching for your “Contact us” page.

In addition, position your physical address prominently on your “Contact us” page. Try to place it as high as possible on the page so that search engines can quickly find the information.

2. Register with Google Maps, its easy and free!

Because Google prioritizes local searches, it’s important to register your business on Google Maps (Yahoo Maps as well). This registration is entirely free and allows you to have total control over the information on your company index card. You can put your logo, address, business hours, services offered, etc. This easy–to-use tool will let you benefit from very high visibility in the search results, since local search engine optimization cards are displayed pretty much systematically when doing a “search word + city” type search.

3. Register yourself in local, regional and national directories

These directories are often free, so why not take advantage of them? As well as helping Internet users find and position you, thereby generating traffic to your site and increasing your potential sales, these sites help create links to yours. Links from these sites, generally on the same subject (or city) as your business, also reinforce the relevance given to your Web site by search engines. Your business will thus have greater chances of being in the top results of search engines when your city is specified in the search.

Lasty, remember that people are looking for you so the ultimate goal is to help them find you!

Having a Web site is now essential for businesses. To promote your Web site and your business, you should have a well-defined Internet marketing strategy. Indeed, once your Web site is built and is fully optimized, you then have to make it known and get Internet users to visit it.

To do this, the integration of Facebook into your Internet marketing plan can be very useful. After only six years, this famous social network has more than 500 million active users, 50% of whom connect to the site at least once a day. It is a significant mass communications tool that is also very affordable.

Here are a few benefits of having an effective business presence on Facebook:

Improved search engine optimization
Since Facebook is open to search engines, some of the information you post on your Facebook page (such as the name of your business, your Web site, etc.) is indexed on the main search engines. All of this information, whether it is directly on your page or that of your friends, or that of clients who put information about you on their page, can improve your position with the search engines.

An inexpensive communication and promotional tool
How can you communicate quickly and easily with your customers at a very low cost? Use Facebook as a complement to your Internet marketing strategy! You can promote your blog articles (if you have a blog), share pertinent information on your field of expertise, and share your news on products, rebates, stores, employees, etc.

You can also promote events, such as a golf tournament, fundraiser, or end-of-season sale. Facebook lets you create interest around these events. Your Facebook friends and fans can thereby create a snowball effect by sharing and relaying information with their friends, by inviting them, etc.

Also, you can promote your business by joining together various groups in your field of expertise. You can then publish pertinent information and news through these groups, add links to your business, and ensure increased visibility within an interested audience!

Improved management of your customer relations
Among all of the Internet marketing tools available to you, Facebook is one of the most dynamic when it comes to interacting with your community (friends, customers, etc.). It allows you to easily remain in contact with your clients, encourage discussions, get to know them better, and to understand their present and future needs. The beauty of this interaction is that it goes both ways. It also allows customers to get to know you better and for you to put a human face to your business. You can then establish a relationship of trust and privilege with them.

Help your customers
A Facebook page is an Internet marketing tool that makes it easier to help your customers. They can ask questions, leave comments, and share their suggestions with you. It will then be up to you to know how best to respond, to effectively manage complaints (if necessary), etc. Are you proactive and focused on good customer service? It is time to show it and prove it on Facebook!

Seek customers, partners, suppliers, and employees
Another major benefit to Facebook is that it brings together people with similar interests. These people have in turn their own group of friends, who have their friends, and so on. You can then look among all of these people to find partners, suppliers, potential customers, etc. You can even recruit future employees. In fact, the “fans” of your page will be more inclined to like you and have a marked interest in your business.

The use of Facebook in your Internet marketing strategy is an undeniable advantage for your business. Its complementary relationship with your Web site is essential. In reality, an optimized Web site will enable you to make sales, and your Facebook page will enable you to generate traffic and build customer loyalty. To do this, all you need is to properly manage your presence on Facebook and be creative in your Internet marketing communications!

Last year, Marta Kagan from the Espresso marketing agency in Boston, offered us a presentation on social media. It featured striking statistics and captivating images on the use of social media around the world. Once again this year, she’s back with a revised, up-to-date presentation, just as attention-grabbing as the first. To see her first presentation visit www.slideshare.net/mkonder/what-the-fuck-is-social-media.

1. What is it?

Google Adwords is a Google advertising system that uses Cost per Click, to promote websites by means of sponsored commercial links, displayed on a search engine results page. These commercial links or ads are displayed, to the right or above the free of charge keyword search results.

2. How does it work?

To use Adwords, you must first create an account and then decide on the type of campaign you want to utilize, either a keyword or placement campaign. The ads in a keyword campaign appear on the search engine results page in response to a relevant user search, while a placement campaign selects a site location on the Google Network where your ad will be posted. The ads can have multiple formats: text, image, video, etc.

Adwords also allows you to create ad groups so you can use several keywords in one campaign. The cost and relevant data are stored in your account. This information allows you to make decisions concerning the performance of ads and your budget.

The positioning and the cost of the ads are based on an auction method that is associated with the quality of your ad. A Quality Score is calculated every time your keyword matches a search that displays your ad. The higher the Quality Score the higher your ad position and the less you pay for the ad.

3. How much does it cost?

The price of the ads depends on their position and the level of competition related to your keywords. You control your budget, that is to say, you decide how much you are willing to invest every day. No minimum is required and your budget will never be surpassed. On average, Adwords ads cost $ 2 per click and you only pay if someone clicks on your ad to connect to your site.

4. Why use Adwords?

Cost per Click campaigns or Adwords are effective when you want to quickly generate site traffic. For example, if you launch a new website, Adwords can help potential customers find you quickly. Furthermore, launching an Adwords campaign during your busy season is a great way to increase sales at low cost.

It is important to understand that people tend to focus on the first page results of an organic search. To ensure the greatest possible visibility, it is essential to combine an Adwords campaign with an SEO strategy. You’ll be in the top positions of the results page and at the head of the commercial links … making it hard to go unnoticed!

When you pick up a book with no informative or interesting content you will most likely stop reading that book. The same applies to a website. If a potential customer or a search engine arrives at your site and the content is not useful they will most likely leave immediately. Here are some tips that will make your site content more appealing for customers and search engines alike.

Text Length

It is suggested that each of your pages contain at least 250 words. If the text pages do not contain enough words, search engines may not be able to resolve the subject of your website pages and may not index them. This would not be good for your domain.

Titles and Subtitles

As in any good book or article, the title often defines the content. Search engines attach a great deal of importance to the titles of your pages. It’s the same for the subtitles. It is therefore necessary that titles and subtitles be closely related to the content of your text.

Lexical Field

Writing 250 words is a good start, but not just any words! If your text is too generic and does not contain enough words related to the subject of the web page, search engines may index these pages but not associate them with the correct keywords. You’ll want to write a text rich in keywords and other words related in meaning and organized into a structure that shows a relationship to one another.

Format Writing

To attach more importance to certain words in your text, you can use different formats like underlining and bolding. This will help the search engines distinguished the word from others and demonstrate to the reader that the word has more importance in the text than other words.

Links

To give more credibility to your text, you can cite other sources of content for visitors seeking to expand their understanding of the subject. Indeed, adding external links to your text will show the search engines that you are knowledgeable about your subject.

In conclusion, if you want your content to satisfy search engines, write a text that informs your visitors! As you can see, the techniques that make your text attractive for indexing search engines are the same techniques that make your text comprehensive, well structured and clear to the reader.

Start writing!

Even though you now know the important advantages of using Internet marketing, (as outlined in previous articles) it is important that you measure the success of these campaigns on your website!

For this reason, you or a web development company should have installed Google Analytics on your site. This tool allows you to monitor various statistics regarding your Internet presence. In my opinion, the following statistics are the most important to consult regularly.

Time on Site

It is essential to verify the number of times people use to visit your site. If this figure is low, this may mean that the complexity of your site makes it difficult for visitors to navigate, the content is poorly organized or that the content is simply uninteresting.

Bounce Rate

Bounce rate is the percentage of people who leave your site after visiting the first page. If you have 3,000 visits monthly and your bounce rate is 95%, this means that only 150 visitors actually make the most of your site! Not good! It is therefore important to keep the bounce rate as low as possible. This number can be reduced by maintaining relevant and quality home pages.

Map Overlay

Want to know where your potential customers are located? Nothing simpler; by consulting this statistic you can find out what countries or cities your visitors come from and better target your future marketing campaigns.

Traffic Source

Where are your visitors coming from?

Direct Traffic

This corresponds to people who have directly entered your address into the address bar or added it to their favourites. This traffic source should represent about 25% of your visits.

Search Engines

People from this source found you by using search engines like Google. You can also check what keywords people entered to find you. This traffic source should be at least 50% of your visits. If this figure is low, it means that people did not find you by using Google, Yahoo and Bing! It may be time to think about optimizing your site!

Referring Sites

This source represents people coming through links on other websites, such Pagesjaunes.ca. This source should represent approximately 25% of visitors. If this figure is less than that, you should form partnerships with other sites to promote your products and services.

Conversion Rate

Without a doubt conversion rate will have the most impact on your bottom line. By adding goals to your sit, you’ll be able to measure the return on investment. For example, a goal could be created for a sale, a request for quotes or simply a subscription to a mailing list. This will allow you to check the conversion rate of visitors and know if your site has the potential to sell.

This is information that will not only improve your presence on the Internet, but could influence the management of your company. For more information on Google Analytics or one of the statistics presented here please contact me at david@kezber.com or by phone at 819-566-6900 # 824.