If you are new to online marketing then you are probably interested in learning the process involved so that you can take a “hands on” role in your marketing efforts. This is a good approach and can actually help your campaign, as opposed to just expecting an SEO company to perform a miracle. So, let’s start with 5 essentials that are needed for getting searched and indexed by major search sites, and improving SERPs.

1. Prepare your site for SEO.

This means creating a sitemap of all your pages, as well as linking your internal pages together through text links. There are also auto-ping services that let search sites know when new content is available. While pinging is basically preparing a special HTML code for the sitemap page, the good news is that there are CMS program plug-ins that can make the process easier.

2. Create Social Networking Links

Social networking is the best thing to happen to small business, since localized and social networking profile pages (i.e. Google Places, Yelp, Facebook, etc.) are actually considered quality links. These are links that people actually see and interact with, as opposed to dead web pages that are rarely visited.

3. Create External Links

It’s relatively easy to create an external link but you should be focusing on quality links. These links are typically guest blogs and magazine articles, as opposed to link exchanges, blog posts and even some low quality article directory posts. The key is the content, which should feature quality writing as well as anchor text that is coherent and related to the site content.

4. Optimize Your Pages

Pay close attention to pages, META descriptions, tags, and headings, ensuring that your selected keywords (related to your business and targeted audience) are repeated enough to be noticed, but not enough to be penalized for “over optimization.” By today’s standards, 1-3 times per 400-word article is more than enough.

5. Reach out to the local market.

While many national websites are feeling the wrath of Google Penguin and Panda algorithm changes, local sites are actually getting more traffic and higher rankings in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). There is an algorithm update called Google Venice that actually matches localized searches with local businesses.

After these introductory steps, it’s really an issue of how thoroughly you research keywords, speak to your audience, and keep up the schedule. There is no doubt that search engines are hungry for new information, so the more you produce, the better. Obviously, not every company can produce new content every day. However, you need to find a balance between constant content and quality content. Once a month, or once a week, is ideal, depending on how often your customers want new information.

Not since Danny Devito’s sewer-dwelling Gotham hoodlum has there been so much trepidation at the mere mention of a penguin. Google Penguin is indeed the catalyst, the villain of 2012—at least to web marketers and company owners who now have to evaluate their SEO on a regular basis.

Well don’t relax yet, even if you have done a complete site overhaul. Google’s Matt Cutts has announced plans to continue to improve the Penguin algorithm. The update is being called the Penguin Jolt, since Cutts stated that in the coming months the search site would be giving out “jolts” of changes.

Google has publicly stated that the Penguin algorithm is still in its experimental stages, and thus the Internet should prepare themselves for these jolts. Cutts reiterated that when a major algorithm update is released, as Panda and Penguin, the first impact is great, and then additional algorithm updates have less impact over time. What appears to be happening is stability; the algorithm changes are stabilizing, as designers fix glitches and redefine parameters.

Remember that Google itself does not consider Penguin a penalty update, but an adjustment. The aim, while imperfect at the moment, is to draw more attention to sites with quality content and less spamming or recycling content. So what does all of this mean for you as a small to midrange business owner? Is now the time to shrink back or to invest more in this endeavor? Well, at this precise moment now is the time to prepare for Google algorithm updates, and have a strategy in place for whenever you feel the effects. It doesn’t take a visionary to foresee a glimpse into the near future. The search engines are responsible to the public. They want the public to continue using search sites in order to find the most specific information and the more detailed information.

Ideally, what you want to plan for, if not short-term then long-term, is either to hire a social networking and blogging manager, or outsource the assignments to a freelance writer. The Google brand is larger than any publishing house in the world, so we are expected to vastly improve the quality of our content, making it comparable or something close to magazine quality writing.

The only sure way to stay clear of the almighty penguin peck is to start planning now for your online expansion. Make noise on the Internet and keep the volume up. You can work with an SEO firm that ensures that your writing quality remains at a high level and that it is considered timely, news-oriented and always written with an expert’s voice. Now is the time to start planning ahead, even as you brace yourself for the upcoming “jolts” proclaimed for the rest of 2012.

When it comes to SEO investment, you can either pay for the writing or pay an SEO consultant. Most businesses would prefer to work with a consultant and not merely a writer, or a company that sells writing. Why? Because SEO consultants understand how Search Engine Optimization and web marketing work. They understand how to break down this information for consumers, for business owners and for employees.

Such a professional, usually with years of experience behind him or her, can advise you of the best steps to take and that’s in addition to some quality writing. For example, an SEO consultant might advise you to use less keyword density in line with Google’s new Penguin algorithm update. Or, an SEO consultant might advise you to avoid certain longtail keyword phrases because they are either too popular or not popular enough. Or, this person could tell you which article directories and which guest blogs are worth targeting based on link popularity. Some consultants can also advise you of full packages that are appropriate for a business of your size and growth.

Now that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to take an SEO consultant’s advice. If you have your own plan of action, then you can call the shots as you see it. However, many in business (who are not familiar with SEO, social networking or social bookmarking) are still sketchy about online marketing. They actually encourage their SEO firms and consultants to volunteer advice regarding keyword research, number of articles, quantity, density and subject matter.

Consultants not only research keywords—they also stay up to date with the latest news in the industry, regarding algorithm updates, statements from major search engine companies, and other industry trends. They are also qualified to give advice on HTML problems in SEO—namely page titles, META tags and descriptions, and other technicalities that writers often ignore.

Why not opt for an SEO firm with a consultant contact? It may save you money in the long run – if this consultant can prevent you from making an expensive mistake. For more information, contact an SEO firm that can help you with planning your next campaign!

Do you have a small business? Then you may have heard or read about the option of “buying” articles or “SEO articles” for your company. What does this mean? What does buying a few articles have to do with increasing your sales?

First, understand that a few articles on their own won’t really accomplish anything. If you have ever come across a magazine article in Time or Newsweek, who do you think derives the most benefit from the feature? Probably the writer himself—he or she is the one making a name for you. Most readers will probably not even remember the article or writer in a year’s time.

So you are correct in assuming that buying a few articles is pointless. However, Search Engine Optimization is not about the buying and selling of a few articles. This is a complete approach to web marketing involving communication with your website and with the major search engines that dominate the Internet.

Search engines require constant “feeding” in order to provide the best, most accurate results for their users. Therefore, the top “ranked” sites are the ones that provide a quantity of information, and ensure that quality is paramount. With a major investment in SEO content production, a company can earn high rankings for popular keyword searches and increase brand awareness, leads, and individual or group sales.

So if someone is advertising “a few articles” for your company, know that they will, for the most part, be forgotten after a short period of time. It is your obligation as a savvy webmaster or website owner to keep the search engines actively “crawling” your website—because of lots of new content. This way, you cannot be forgotten, because now you’re one of the few companies that understands SEO and knows that the secret to success in is consistency.

What are quality links in SEO today? Up until recently, quality links were just website pages that had good content, or at least coherently written content. That alone meant that the page was of high quality and so the link was counted. Unfortunately, this led to a proliferation of low quality article directories, with literally hundreds or even thousands of pages of rehashed information. Webmasters and some SEO firms deduced that they could just buy links and thus increase their rankings by sheer production schedule.

They were wrong, or so suggested the latest Google algorithm update. With Penguin, the latest major change, the search engine site let it be known that lower quality links were not going to cut it anymore. Not only did the company speak out against content mills, but they also cited over-optimization as a new no-no. Suddenly, major article directory sites were being blasted down into oblivion in search engine page rankings, and magazines, news sites and even company blogs were scoring higher traffic.

This does not necessarily mean that the age of the article directory is over. It’s just that Google is not doing any favors for article directories based on their popularity alone. It’s really up to webmasters to keep their pages relevant and professionally written, and to stop assuming that a popular directory is going to carry them along for the ride to the top.

The plan is actually working too well, considering that some fairly good pages are now being knocked down a few notches solely because Google doesn’t like the reputation of the article directory. This has pointed many SEO firms and webmasters towards guest blogging. With blogging, as well as online magazines, editors can maintain control over the reputation of the site. This means less content mill-style work or SPAM will be published as legitimate articles, and thus Google Search might be more generous in awarding higher search rankings to quality pages at these sites.

Guest blogging is a smart idea, but only if you find popular websites within your industry that are relevant and that match you in terms of professionalism. For more information, contact an SEO firm and ask for a consultation!

For many businesses that are just starting out on the Internet, online business can seem to be a confusing project. Learning about keyword researching, keyword density, unique content, meta tags, trends, traffic, and more is enough to make anyone’s head spin! This is especially true if you are already busy running your own business, concentrating on your own products and services. This is one of the reasons that many people hire an SEO firm.

Creating unique content is something that can be very time consuming. This content is what is posted on your page to draw in customers. This can be in the form of articles, blogs, or other writing, often with keywords peppered throughout. This content has to be relevant to your website, interesting to your readers, and search-bot friendly so that your website will be easily found and rank high in search engine results. Many people simply do not have the patience or the time to write these articles on their own. After all, if you want to remain high in the rankings, consistent quality content is a determining factor.

Keyword research and understanding search engine algorithms can also be time consuming. You must find the right balance between popularity and a host of other factors that are always changing when it comes to keywords; like page titles, tags, subheadings, links and anchor text.

If you choose a keyword that is too popular, there will be fierce competition, and you will be obligated to create loads of content—probably more than you can manage. (And even then, it’s no sure thing, since you’re competing against more popular sites and sites with “seniority”) More than likely, there will be bigger websites outranking yours for the popular keywords. You could be buried in the rankings, not even showing up on the first 10, 20 or more pages. An SEO firm can help you understand the technique of SEO, and not just the writing.

Besides a lot more free time, another advantage of hiring an SEO firm is that these firms are the professionals, with lots of experience under their belts. The difference between a DIY project and a professional one is often very clear, which can also be the case for your website. Professional quality work of a legitimate SEO firm can help your business find success.

Many companies prefer to hire top quality SEO firms to handle all the ins and outs of the online side of business, so as to free up their time and keep a professional edge. Why not put an SEO firm to the test?

Google Penguin has left a Godzilla like trail in its aftermath, leading many SEO experts and website owners to wonder what happened, and how their Internet will be forever changed. What has Google Penguin, the latest algorithm update, taught us about search engine traffic? Consider four key points.

1. Search Engines are cracking down hard on content mills.

Search Engines have long been taken advantage of by websites that know how to bend or break the rules. For the longest time, content mills (sites that recycled content, rather than wrote original or thought-provoking content) dominated search engine results. The latest algorithm updates, with Panda and Penguin, have made it a point to penalize sites that use illegal SEO techniques, and that recycle content from a better site.

2. Search Engines are tired of lousy writing.

The newest Panda algorithm went one step further, warning the world that Google was now penalizing “over-optimized” sites—specifically mentioning these content sites apart from content mills and other black hat SEO sites. This strongly indicates that no website or individual website is safe from penalty. The question is, what does an over-optimized site look like? From the looks of the latest falling traffic trends, it strongly indicates the article directory type sites are losing favor and magazine or blog style articles are considered preferred content.

3. Diversify the Online Web Experience

Perhaps the Penguin fiasco is a good thing, as it will teach us how to avoid being stuck in a Google rut, and instead diversify our web marketing plans by looking into options with Bing, Yahoo, MSN and other search companies.

4. Focus on Building Authority, Not Mindless Links

The links wars of 2010 and 2011 are over. It’s no longer a question of who has the most links. What matters now is the quality of the links you are establishing. Make sure that every link is a high quality link and that you focus on making sure your site is easy to navigate, uncluttered and very user-friendly.

All in all, Google Panda and Penguin have been great wake up calls to the SEO and the Internet world and have challenged us to move forward.

If you own a local shop, store or restaurant you may be wondering if SEO will suit your purposes or if it’s just a waste of money. After all, just because you have a website doesn’t necessarily mean that people are going to flock to it—especially if you don’t sell items online. However, don’t underestimate the value of web content, especially in this post-Penguin, post-Venice age. (We’ll explain this in a moment)

The only way that local traffic can find you is if you make an effort to be found, and the way to do that is to proactively choose popular niche keywords and create searchable content for your targeted audience. Now maybe you’re thinking, if only I had a national business I could do that. However, thanks to recent two recent Google algorithm updates, you may very well have the odds stacked in your favor.

Google Venice is an update created exclusively for the promotion of localized content. Google is sending more SEO traffic to websites stationed within the searcher’s city, assuming that for some keyword searches, users want to find nearby businesses. If you own a restaurant, a retail store or any sort of business this will be an excellent way to solicit new interest.

The Google Penguin update is also a major factor to consider; for some a thorn in their sides, for others a great new opportunity. The Penguin algorithm update rewards websites that have above-average quality web content. In fact, the latest changes focus more on quality content than keyword density. Therefore, if you pay for high quality writing and do a consistent job of keeping your page updated, you will eventually best the competition who underestimates the new power of local SEO.

Just look at Google Places and Google Maps, two very important geo-centric sites that can put a new business on the map and help improve general SEO rankings for localized searches. If you sign up with all the local pages, you will only improve your web presence in your own city.

Remember, even if your business doesn’t have much “copy” or much selling to offer, you won’t be writing much of that anyway. Your priority is creating valuable and informative content to your audience. An SEO firm can help you get started!

If you have a business that you are trying to spread the word about, then no doubt you are looking into the newest social media options.  Facebook is currently one of the biggest on the scene these days, but smart business owners know to keep their ear to the ground and to always be ready for what is the next big thing.

Currently, Pinterest is gathering a lot of steam.  What many businesses want to know then is – would Pinterest be worth the time investment?  Pinterest is currently one of the fastest growing social websites in the world today.  Which means the short answer of whether or not it is going to be worth the time is yes.  Expanding to many areas across the web helps get your name out there and this website can help do just that with its over 11 million users and “viral” momentum.

Now for your specific company, there are several factors to consider, such as the type of business you have and the clients you are trying to attract. Pinterest is a photo sharing website that allows its users to make collections or “pin-boards” of images.  If your business has no real images it can link to in order to show its products or services then this website is going to be a tough sell.  If however, your company offers products that can be used in images (or at least the spirit of the service can be represented in images; symbolism, related topics, etc.) then Pinterest will be well worth the time.

A vast majority of people on the website are currently women, and many boards have to do with crafts, weddings, vacations and dreams.  Let’s say you are a cabinet business for example.  You can post pictures of beautiful kitchens in gorgeous “dream homes” with links back to your cabinet business.  People will add these images to their boards of “homes”, and their friends will see them and do the same, soon your images are all over Pinterest, and in the hands of people that actually want to buy those cabinets.  Get the picture?

If you sell any type of product this is the site for you.  If you are a blogger and take any type of nice images for your blog, this is the site for you.  If you are a cut and dry business, with non-tangible items and ideas that cannot be easily expressed by camera, then you may need to stick to Facebook, Twitter, and the like.  Is Pinterest worth the time investment?  That depends on your business and just how creative you can get to draw people in!

Once upon a time, people stuffed keywords into articles so many times that they were nearly unreadable. This was because the Internet was a very different place in its infancy; the only way for search bots to find interesting keyword content was through keyword repetition. Unfortunately, this “Are we there, yet?”, “Are we there, yet?” SPAM-like technique worked for a time.

There were also other sneaky tactics that could help a company cheat its way to the top; some webmasters hid keywords on their pages, and still others used keywords that had nothing to do with their website just to draw in bigger traffic. Today, thanks to modern algorithm technology by major search engines, these practices are mostly outdated. Keyword stuffing can now get your website penalized, or flagged as SPAM. This is why knowing the appropriate keyword density is so important.

For those who don’t know, keyword density is the number of times that your chosen phrase is repeated on a page when compared to the total number of words. In order to figure out the “right” keyword density you need to know the total number of words in the article and exactly how many times your phrase is used. The rules are always changing, but today may recommend a keyword density of no more than 1%–and even less just to be safe. This is due to Google’s new algorithm update, which emphasizes natural repetition instead of “over-optimization.”

Don’t forget to use your keyword in places such as the title, and the meta tags. You also want to try to use your chosen phrase in the first paragraph of your content or article, as well as the last paragraph. Due to ever advancing algorithms, keywords must fit into content so that they read for humans and not bots. If it is just a random smattering of words that make little sense, you could be penalized and your rankings will drop.

Basically, you want to keep your content reading naturally, so that it can be enjoyed by readers, not robots. Imagine you are sharing information with a newspaper audience or magazine subscribers. If you need help with writing, an SEO firm can provide a solution.