Archive for the ‘Search Engine Optimization’ Category

Social Media Blogging with SEO in mind

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Joker Media Search Engine OptimizationThere is a lot of white noise on the Internet. Someone may write all the blogs they like, but are they getting noticed? For most businesses, unless you are using the right words the blogs may not gain any exposure outside of your inner network. That it not the purpose of social media . You want all of your social media to expand your audience. Blogging and writing with search engine optimization techniques in mind may be your most effective approach.

First off, have you determined the key words before you start blogging? It may just be white noise without them. Do you know the how frequent you should be using them. Unless people are rushing to your blogs like just a few major players, your best chance of using a blog to your benefit is to use them to provide link juice or linking power for your site. That way if just a few people read them, you will not have wasted your time  as you are still getting some benefit from them as at least search engines are picking up your main themes.

If you are using social media without knowing search engine optimization techniques, you might just be blending in with all the white noise.

Why SEO is a lot like today’s TV Weatherman

Monday, November 16th, 2009

People are perplexed when I use this analogy- but it really describes SEO to those who arent familiar with it. TV meteorologists look at lots of different data when predicting if it will rain or not.  The chart pressure systems, barometer, winds, what is happening elsewhere or on the horizon. In short, they say “we feel the conditions are in place that it will rain”   They are pretty good at predicting it, but not always right .  In SEO , no one knows for sure that something will result in making it rain in first page search engine results. However, we try to prepare the conditions so it will rain. We look at fundamental truths in SEO practices such as silo design, content, wording, links, etc. These are foundations. We also look at what everyone else is doing and what respond with a competitive strategy. Weather people do not buy a forecast, and in turn, good SEO should  not depend on the practice of buying links. Joker Media practices sound, honest fundamentals for SEO in Minneapolis and Tucson that we feel have a very good chance of making it rain for you.

SEO worth every penny

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

I recently did a conference call with reporters from New York including some prominent writers for the New York Times.  Asked how they start their research and work on stories, each replied they do a general search engine query using a few keywords and start with some of the first page results.

We’re not talking about the paid ads that appear at the top of search engine results page (SERP.)

Journalists, just like the public, value the “organic” results, the sites that pop up in the areas outside the paid results and perceive them as more of an independent judgment. The only way to get a good organic search results is with Search Engine Optimization (SEO.) A good strategy makes sure your site has the proper programming, has the right keywords emphasized numerous times in your content, and has good , quality links to it.

When I asked the Journalists if they thought Search Engine Optimization was a worthy investment for companies, all the journalists replied “a great investment that is worth every penny.”

Links from News Organizations are huge SEO factors

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

It used to be companies wanted to be on the news or in the paper solely for the consumer audience. Today, there is a huge added benefit. Often times the news outlet will provide a link to your website that provides benefits for a long time.

Wonder how search engines like google view sites for their ranking? Labels for your website pages, the words on your pages and links to your site. No link is more important than a link from an independent news organization. It shows you are legitimate, that you have something to offer that is new, different or insightful.

It’s not always the number of links you have to your site (part of the reason we do not advocate buying links.)  Instead, its the quality of the links. I’ve seen sites shoot up in the rankings and the only thing that had changed was the company got national news coverage that also linked to their site.

If your website design company or SEO firm does not have a PR arm that specializes in getting your organization or company news coverage and those important links, you are missing the boat.


 

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