Getting on the First Page of Google
Posted 4th December 2013 at 11:50 AM by imarkedy
Tags seo, seo 101, seo advice, seo basics
OK – you have a great product or service getting on the first page of Google has become a relentless pursuit! The first step is describing services in a way which customers will first search and then locate online. Although many refer to sourcing searched keywords as Google keyword research, effective selection and deployment of search phrases on your website extends well beyond Google into every area of the Internet. Whether mining keywords for paid advertising, website content, social media marketing or other online business ventures, deploying industry (product) specific keyword strings must be top priority.Regardless of industry, search phrases must align with the products and services they describe. If you have an industry changing service yet no one either knows about or has access, how will it ever change your industry? Deploying keywords in a way which indexing bots, responsible for analyzing content and placing it on search engines, require understanding both short tail and long tail keyword research.To begin the process of sourcing and deploying effective keyword strings, the following questions must be first asked and then, answered:
1. How will customers, most interested in your brand message, locate you?
2. What is your company’s value proposition and how is it be best communicated?
3. Are there differences between how you search competitive services and those you want to introduce services to?
4. Should you pay a professional seo company or learn the basics?
5. Which form of Internet marketing offers the best opportunity to quickly launch and test services?
After answering, you are now ready to begin mining industry defining keyword strings. Below is a simple process which will launch most any search engine optimization campaign. Who knows your business better than you? However, knowing ‘what’ your personal value proposition is and serving it to potential customers in a way which leads to website traffic are often at odds! Ranking high on Google or its’ competitors requires understanding basic, easy to understand Seo (short for search engine optimization).There are highly technical definitions of Seo and then there is the plain, easily understood version. Let’s offer the latter; serving content to interested persons through use of search habits they’ve already formed.
Most Internet users have used all three at one time or another but can any claim to have used unique search habits according to the specific search engine used? It is likely that if, for example, you’ve searched the term ‘seo help’ on Google, that same query would be used on competitive platforms. It is these searches which allow anyone to quickly penetrate both global as well as local, organic search markets. Even with local seo, targeting local states, provinces and cities, effective keyword placement throughout a website is crucial for high organic placement.
Keyword mining using Google’s Keyword Tool
Although there are many services to mine keywords, at the top of the heap (not surprisingly) is another Google based service used for Seo research. To locate this free service, head on over to Google and search ‘Google keyword tool’. As was previously mentioned, understanding how website visitors search for competitive interests must be learned before aggregating effective search queries. In the old days, most used the ‘yellow pages’ to locate services and made contact with relative businesses based on narrowing a list of service providers.
Search platforms should be thought of as an electronic version of the Yellow Pages. Google, controlling more than 69% of worldwide search markets is the primary vehicle on the Internet for determining your industry’s search volume.This isn’t to say others have no relevance but to begin with Google, provides a clear picture of how volume and organic search placement is handled.
Short tail and long tail Keywords
There are essentially two forms of keyword which will appear on the keyword tool – short tail and long tail. How both are aggregated and deployed will largely determine the success (or failure) of any Internet marketing campaign. Short tail keywords are those which contain one or two words, together, describing a brand’s value proposition and/or messaging. Using Udemy.com as an example, those searching for information on do so as follows using the Google tool;
· Udemy classes
· Udemy courses
· Udemy education
· Udemy excel
Long tail keywords are defined as queries which begin at three keywords or more. Here are search examples;
· Udemy online courses
· Udemy online education
· What is Udemy
· Best Udemy courses
Understanding the difference between search parameters can literally, no hyperbole intended, determine website traffic volume. Having been a Seo expert for many years, I’ve yet to hear a webmaster make the statement – “You know; I sure could use LESS website traffic”. For entrepreneurs and small business, effective keyword selection and deployment (with a few exceptions) determine volume of website visits.
Choosing effective keyword queries is a great start but the next step is getting indexed on search engines. The advantages of receiving high rankings could take an entire book to cover but since that much space isn’t available here, we’ll stick with the top five;
1. Ability to immediately test new products and services with industry specific audiences
2. Increased site ‘click-thru-rate’
3. Grows brand visibility
4. Established expertise within geo-targeted markets
5. Grows revenue and profits
Being listed on Page #1 results is a great achievement but also an awesome responsibility. The above points were listed in order of how your business will progress once high rankings are achieved. Ascending to the online business’ promised-land, page #1 rankings, brings with it the need to assure product presentation, content, sales offer and customer service funnels are operating at peak efficiency.
Here is a list of items to spot check for functionality;
a. Website load time – in a future post, we’ll deal with the importance of load time. Nevertheless, fast load times are not only critical for Seo but decreasing site ‘bounce rate’. If your site is media heavy and assuming no steps for increasing load time have been taken, traffic results will suffer.
b. Anchor text links – make sure these are functional and serving relevant, working pages. 404 errors hurt a site’s in many ways not the least of which is doing damage to Seo efforts as well as dramatically increasing ‘bounce rate’.
c. Easy to Navigate – although anchor text is included on ease of navigation, make sure that your most important pages (not all pages are created equal) are readily apparent to visitors. It is best to make ‘call to action’ pages most visible.
d. Deliver on the promise – stay away from tons of HYPE and simply deliver content in an easy to understand and professional manner.
e. Sales funnel check-up – Whatever your product or service, double check every merchant payment funnel! Enough said.
Visitors arrive onsite because first, it they are indexed in a way which describes theme (Seo) and are expecting great presentation. Longer term success requires finding a nexus, or meeting point, between search engine optimization, great layouts and professional content.This isn’t necessarily great design but rather, usability.The most visited website in the world is found at drudgereport.com; light on design but heavy on theme related content! Other areas could be added and believe me, unto nausea however, develop a checklist specific to your business goals. In the next article, we’ll outline simple strategies for website keyword mining and deployment.
B.D. Dale
SBDC TV
Small Business Development Center
1. How will customers, most interested in your brand message, locate you?
2. What is your company’s value proposition and how is it be best communicated?
3. Are there differences between how you search competitive services and those you want to introduce services to?
4. Should you pay a professional seo company or learn the basics?
5. Which form of Internet marketing offers the best opportunity to quickly launch and test services?
After answering, you are now ready to begin mining industry defining keyword strings. Below is a simple process which will launch most any search engine optimization campaign. Who knows your business better than you? However, knowing ‘what’ your personal value proposition is and serving it to potential customers in a way which leads to website traffic are often at odds! Ranking high on Google or its’ competitors requires understanding basic, easy to understand Seo (short for search engine optimization).There are highly technical definitions of Seo and then there is the plain, easily understood version. Let’s offer the latter; serving content to interested persons through use of search habits they’ve already formed.
Most Internet users have used all three at one time or another but can any claim to have used unique search habits according to the specific search engine used? It is likely that if, for example, you’ve searched the term ‘seo help’ on Google, that same query would be used on competitive platforms. It is these searches which allow anyone to quickly penetrate both global as well as local, organic search markets. Even with local seo, targeting local states, provinces and cities, effective keyword placement throughout a website is crucial for high organic placement.
Keyword mining using Google’s Keyword Tool
Although there are many services to mine keywords, at the top of the heap (not surprisingly) is another Google based service used for Seo research. To locate this free service, head on over to Google and search ‘Google keyword tool’. As was previously mentioned, understanding how website visitors search for competitive interests must be learned before aggregating effective search queries. In the old days, most used the ‘yellow pages’ to locate services and made contact with relative businesses based on narrowing a list of service providers.
Search platforms should be thought of as an electronic version of the Yellow Pages. Google, controlling more than 69% of worldwide search markets is the primary vehicle on the Internet for determining your industry’s search volume.This isn’t to say others have no relevance but to begin with Google, provides a clear picture of how volume and organic search placement is handled.
Short tail and long tail Keywords
There are essentially two forms of keyword which will appear on the keyword tool – short tail and long tail. How both are aggregated and deployed will largely determine the success (or failure) of any Internet marketing campaign. Short tail keywords are those which contain one or two words, together, describing a brand’s value proposition and/or messaging. Using Udemy.com as an example, those searching for information on do so as follows using the Google tool;
· Udemy classes
· Udemy courses
· Udemy education
· Udemy excel
Long tail keywords are defined as queries which begin at three keywords or more. Here are search examples;
· Udemy online courses
· Udemy online education
· What is Udemy
· Best Udemy courses
Understanding the difference between search parameters can literally, no hyperbole intended, determine website traffic volume. Having been a Seo expert for many years, I’ve yet to hear a webmaster make the statement – “You know; I sure could use LESS website traffic”. For entrepreneurs and small business, effective keyword selection and deployment (with a few exceptions) determine volume of website visits.
Choosing effective keyword queries is a great start but the next step is getting indexed on search engines. The advantages of receiving high rankings could take an entire book to cover but since that much space isn’t available here, we’ll stick with the top five;
1. Ability to immediately test new products and services with industry specific audiences
2. Increased site ‘click-thru-rate’
3. Grows brand visibility
4. Established expertise within geo-targeted markets
5. Grows revenue and profits
Being listed on Page #1 results is a great achievement but also an awesome responsibility. The above points were listed in order of how your business will progress once high rankings are achieved. Ascending to the online business’ promised-land, page #1 rankings, brings with it the need to assure product presentation, content, sales offer and customer service funnels are operating at peak efficiency.
Here is a list of items to spot check for functionality;
a. Website load time – in a future post, we’ll deal with the importance of load time. Nevertheless, fast load times are not only critical for Seo but decreasing site ‘bounce rate’. If your site is media heavy and assuming no steps for increasing load time have been taken, traffic results will suffer.
b. Anchor text links – make sure these are functional and serving relevant, working pages. 404 errors hurt a site’s in many ways not the least of which is doing damage to Seo efforts as well as dramatically increasing ‘bounce rate’.
c. Easy to Navigate – although anchor text is included on ease of navigation, make sure that your most important pages (not all pages are created equal) are readily apparent to visitors. It is best to make ‘call to action’ pages most visible.
d. Deliver on the promise – stay away from tons of HYPE and simply deliver content in an easy to understand and professional manner.
e. Sales funnel check-up – Whatever your product or service, double check every merchant payment funnel! Enough said.
Visitors arrive onsite because first, it they are indexed in a way which describes theme (Seo) and are expecting great presentation. Longer term success requires finding a nexus, or meeting point, between search engine optimization, great layouts and professional content.This isn’t necessarily great design but rather, usability.The most visited website in the world is found at drudgereport.com; light on design but heavy on theme related content! Other areas could be added and believe me, unto nausea however, develop a checklist specific to your business goals. In the next article, we’ll outline simple strategies for website keyword mining and deployment.
B.D. Dale
SBDC TV
Small Business Development Center
