Archive for the ‘Search Engine Optimization SEO’ Category
Description of ‘Search Engine Optimization SEO’ Category:
The method of improving the volume and quality of traffic to your website from Search Engines.
Friday, February 4th, 2011
 With SEO some primary goals include creating good content, increasing viewer usability, and promoting a website’s popularity, however there are certain practices out there that we avoid. These avoided practices are orchestrated to quickly or prematurely inflate rankings and take advantage of the factors that search engines utilize when ranking sites. These techniques are often referred to as Black Hat Techniques.
While folks assume there are benefits of using such techniques, there are also major downsides. After using Black Hat techniques a website may temporarily hold a high rank, it will most likely not last very long. Some of the other immediate negative consequences include a site being banned, having penalties against it, and could result in web pages being wiped of their search rank value.
Although search engines devote resources and effort to putting a stop to these methods some still exist. Search engines have worked consistently to ensure that white hat methods remain dominant and discourage the use of black hat tactics.
There are quite a few SEO methods out there that can inadvertently land a website in the search engine dog house. Whether a site is flagged, given the penalties, banned, or you just want to know what to avoid here is a brief list of some of the Black Hat SEO methods to avoid as they could cause issues for a web site.
Cloaking is used to deceive the search engines, what a user sees is different compared to what a search engine robot (bot) would find. Although a site that is utilizing a cloaking technique is open to a penalty, or could be banned there are a few acceptable cloaking techniques called White Hat Cloaking.
Manipulative linking occurs in various forms and exploits search engine link popularity. A common method is using link farms, which is where a group of sites hyperlink to all other sites in the group and the process is generally automated. Some other examples of manipulative linking… Read the rest
Tags: black hat SEO, engine, internet, method, search, search engine, seo
Posted in Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization SEO | 1 Comment »
Friday, January 28th, 2011
How to Measure the Value of A Link!
If you are familiar with the  inner workings of a Search Engine then you probably know that search engines calculate the standing of your website using a number of different factors. Link value analysis is among these factors, which is derived from the quantity and reputation of the other web pages that link to your website. In addition to examining the popularity of connected pages, search engines analyze a website’s primary characteristics such as trustworthiness, spam level (is your website useful), and perceptible authority (legitimacy).
In order to grow the popularity of your website, generate awareness, and increase traffic from search engines it is important to perform link building and analysis. So how do you know the value of a link? Although search engines keep the majority of their ranking factors private, some of the clearer and more notable factors include the following.
- Global Reach: If you want to have a link from a website to your website (a backlink), does that website have quality backlinks to other quality websites, in other words does that website have importance, reach, and scope. Nothing is more impressive than having a well know and hard hitting website in your corner!
- Community Merit: Equally important to websites with global reach are topic specific links that hold merit and commonality to the website on a topic level. Web sites that are in the same business or cover similar topics and industries can provide a stable ranking foundation.
- Anchor Text: Using anchor text is both important on inbound links to your website and navigational links within your website. A well built website can rank higher by using keywords in their anchor text. This anchor text should both describe the link and be a representation of the general content on the target page. It is additionally helpful to use keywords in the anchor text of links guiding traffic to your website. The more onsite and offsite links to your
… Read the rest
Tags: anchor text, backlink, internet, link, website
Posted in Backlinks, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization SEO | 2 Comments »
Friday, January 21st, 2011
In our private lives, we all have our daily online routines. We check and send email, visit our favorite sites, read a few articles, and countless others.
Why should our Online Business Activity be any different?
If you own a business there are certain basic recommendations for daily online activity that could help generate more clients. The Internet is a powerful resource for any business and neglecting to utilize all that it offers is silly. Every business can be conducting some kind of daily activity online. Not sure how to fully utilize the Internet for your business? The following are minimal suggestions for your company’s daily Internet practices.
- Visit Some Social Networking Websites:
Submit some postings to multiple sites and gain a following in the online community. Use this online activity to share some knowledge and build a reputation for your business. By improving the brand of your business on Facebook, you’re able to market your company and have the opportunity to acquire profitable insights from others. It’s free, except for your time, so take advantage of the free advertising that websites like Facebook and Twitter offer. In addition using these social networking sites gives you another medium to allow you to be more accessible to your customers and gain valuable feedback. See more information about how Twitter Can Benefit Your Business.
- Write a Blog:
Establishing a blog for your business is a great way to branch out and grow your web presence. A blog is another way to obtain customer interaction as well as communicating important messages to your clients. Additionally, mention your blog articles on Social Media websites like Twitter and Facebook and have more potential clients visit your website. For more on how blogs can help a business check out Having a Blog Helps!
- Check The Analytics Of Your Website:
It is important to understand how visitors use your website. Before you can successfully solve any problems and market your site. You should have a good understanding of what’s
… Read the rest
Tags: business, clients, daily, online, online activity, social networking, website
Posted in Search Engine Optimization SEO, Social Networking, Web Tips | No Comments »
Friday, January 14th, 2011
Search Engine Optimization Fundamentals
Search Engine Optimization at its root is the process of increasing exposure to a website by enhancing the sites relevance and importance in the eyes of search engines. In order to gain this exposure or reach more customers the process of SEO sets out to make a website more rank worthy. The higher that a website is ranked on a search engine the more likely people are to access it.
A search engine has four main purposes that include Crawling, Indexing, Ranking, and Providing Results. The World Wide Web is a massive network where everything is connected through linking. A search engine navigates or crawls through the network locating web pages, images, or video files using mechanized devices called crawlers or spiders. These devices are launched, scouring the Internet, reading pieces of code from websites. The pieces of information copied by a crawler allow the searched location to be indexed or saved on one of their massive databases. Search Engine companies have data centers that hold the databases located all around the world in order to quickly recall the information upon request of the user.
In those first two tasks the search engine sought out and returned only the relevant pages. After searching and indexing, the next duty of the search engine is to calculate the indexed webpage’s relevance and determine its ranking. From here it assigns an importance which usually comes from the quantity and quality of the information as well as the webpage’s popularity. In addition there are many other ranking factors and various search engines value each factor differently. Once a rank is designated the page is then ready to be displayed for a user to access. Although all that is visible to us when performing a search are our search terms going in and the search results coming out, while behind-the-scenes there is a tremendous amount of action and effort going on to provide us with the information that we request.
According to Google these are some tips to get a better webpage ranking with them.
- Good webpage Content!
… Read the rest
Tags: engine, rank, ranking, ranking factor, seach engine, search
Posted in Search Engine Optimization SEO | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, January 5th, 2011
For those of us who are new to blogging, this article will simply describe how having a blog will promote you and your business. It will also serve up some useful tips for managing your blog properly.
Blogging has been around for sometime now but it was only recently that people had noticed the level of importance and beneficial properties that it offers.  Blogs are basically online interactive journals that span any number of topics. Some blogs are personal, detailing the actions of an individual and some are organization blogs which usually cover topics and events associated with that organization. Disregarding whether it is used as a personal or professional outlet, a blog is a handy instrument that can be used to gain momentum and popularity over the Internet. So a Blog can be a channel for you to express your ideas as well as drive up the success of your business!
So what are the Benefits Of Having A Blog?
Web Presence!
- A blog is an excellent way to reach out to your existing clients and gain more along the way.
- A quick way to supply news, promotions, ideas, or other information to your audience!
- Offers an effective way to provide customer service and support to your customers!
- A blog helps establish you as a professional.
- Help you build a following and gain respect within your industry and blogging community!
- Efficiently increases traffic to your site! Search engines like, actually love blogs and the keywords found in your blog entries attract more customers to your site looking for information about those keywords.
- Allows for you to obtain rapid feedback from blog participants.
- Writing a blog also makes your company more approachable! People will have an easier time communicating with you because you are on a more personal level.
Are you convinced that you should… Read the rest
Tags: blog help, Blogging, blogs, Business Growth, company blog, internet, weblog
Posted in Blog Hints, Search Engine Optimization SEO, Web Tips | No Comments »
Friday, December 31st, 2010
 Hello there! Welcome to the Internet Beacon’s awesome weblog. If you’re here for SEO tips for small businesses, you’ve come to the right place.
For many people, remaining connected is very important and allows them to maximize their potential. The technology of Smartphone’s enables this connection to reach the next level. Now virtually everything an individual can do from their home or office can be accomplished with a mobile device.
The technology that connects us is ever changing but the reason for this connection remains the same. To learn, experience, share, grow and of course simplify our lives. A Smartphone is a perfect example of making our lives easier. Sure Internet, Email, Texting and Video Chatting in the palm of our hands are all great features but the real highlight is the development of Mobile Applications. There are masses of Apps out there for everything and I mean everything. If you need to learn a language, calculate a tip, make an appointment, find a restaurant, use a flashlight, or navigate directions a Smartphone application has you covered. Small gadgets like these are awesome but what are even more impressive are the Apps that make your work routine easier or more convenient when not in your office.
This is why I put together a list of the top ten mobile Apps for SEO professionals. The Apps detailed below are useful tools that simplify daily tasks for Search Engine Optimization and provide individuals with up-to-date information on their accounts. Apps such as these conveniently allow for the management of their clients, their websites, and crucial statistics. You never know when you may need the data available regardless of if it’s to convey it to a client or only to double check a figure. Mobile Apps like these prevent this issue by keeping a detailed record available to you anywhere and at anytime. Each of the links below provides a description of the application. The Apps range in price from… Read the rest
Tags: Apps, internet, Mobile, Mobile SEO, seo, Smartphone
Posted in Internet Marketing, Mobile Web, Search Engine Optimization SEO | No Comments »
Friday, November 19th, 2010
 Hello there! Welcome to the Internet Beacon’s awesome weblog. If you’re here for SEO tips for small businesses, you’ve come to the right place
Alright, people. You need hits on your website and there are ways to get it. SEO, like most things, has two sides. Classic programming lingo refers to these as White Hat and Black Hat. The former is the kind of SEO that a reputable firm will offer you. However, there are plenty of companies that will push your website using the latter’s illicit tactics. Here are three Black Hat techniques to avoid
Article Spinning
Article Spinning takes several forms. One of them is respinning articles from either your own blog or someone else’s blog. You take bits and pieces and change them to make it seem like they’re different. This gets around the duplication rule, but means that you’re offering up no new content. You’re tricking people into finding your site, but what happens when they get there?
Keyword Stuffing
This one is an old tactic that is starting to disappear. Essentially, search engines would use keywords plugged into your META description to help find the site. The only problem is that people were jamming their description full of words that might not even apply to their site. This made for inaccurate search results and irritated web users.
Spamdexing
This is one of the worst offenders, in my opinion. Spamdexing happens when you fill a website with repeated keywords and phrases to the point where it becomes ridiculous. Paragraphs make little sense and the whole text body is designed to be a cheap marketing tool that only serves to frustrate the visitors.
All in all, Black Hat tactics are not worth the price. Sure you might get a brief spike in traffic, but once the search engines catch you, it’s over. Your site gets blacklisted and now you aren’t getting any hits at all. This is all on top of the sloppy mess of a website you’ll be running.
-Josh
InternetBeacon
Tags: Black Hat, Internet Marketing, seo, Tips
Posted in Search Engine Optimization SEO | No Comments »
Friday, November 12th, 2010
Hello there! Welcome to the Internet Beacon’s awesome weblog. If you’re here for SEO tips for small businesses, you’ve come to the right place. If you’ve used any Microsoft backed site in the past two years or so, you’ve no doubt had to install their Silverlight plug-in.
Your business has a slogan, right? Perhaps it’s in your company’s name. Why do you do that? So you can help tell people about your business before they even enter your office. You let the client know that you’re “Best Local Movers” by making that your company name. Well, SEO works off of this. You want clients to find you based on words that describe your business. Qualitative statements are nice, but accurate objective words are better.
When choosing keywords to describe your business, think about your prospective clients. Are they looking for “cleaners” or are they looking for “Reisterstown Cleaners”. Be descriptive and informative. Make sure you use words that tell people about your business. Geographic locations are good. Another consideration should be specific niche markets. Make sure that instead of “Cleaners” you use “Carpet Cleaners”.
Remember, people find you on the Internet based on what YOU tell them. They do the search, but you are the ones to tell them what words match you. Take time and consider how you want to be found. Last tip: don’t use too much marketing speak. You don’t want to come across cheesy or, worse, false.
-Josh
InternetBeacon.com
Tags: internet, keywords, marketing, seo
Posted in Search Engine Optimization SEO | 1 Comment »
Friday, October 22nd, 2010
 Hello there! Welcome to the Internet Beacon’s awesome weblog. If you’re here for SEO tips for small businesses, you’ve come to the right place.
Keeping people coming to your site is key in this industry. You don’t want them to visit once and then forget about you. That doesn’t do you any favors and it keeps your website from gaining influence on the web. Now, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), is something we here at the Internet Beacon specialize in. However, once you get people to your site, you need to give them a reason to keep coming back. Now, this where your content comes into play. The only thing is, don’t let your content get stale. There are three major forms of communication used today in the blogosphere.
Audio – Listen Up
Today’s Internet user is doing multiple things at once. They might be shopping while listening to the news. Or checking their bank account while playing their favorite music. The common thread here is that the audio provides the user with content, without demanding their absolute attention. Providing content like podcasts or even streaming sound clips can get your audience’s interest, while still giving them freedom.
Video – Catch their Eye
Now, if you really want someone’s attention, video is a great way to do it. Video allows for massive amounts of data to be exchanged. The combination of audible and visual means creates an opportunity to share tons of information with your users. Some great video ideas are reviews or answers to popular questions about your products/services.
Written Word – Worth “X” Amount of Pictures
Ah, the classic standby. Text was the first form of communication on the Web and is easiest to post. A solid blog or post can inform users of your products and services, all while representing it an easy to handle format. PC processing power doesn’t come into play and text is easily managed on mobile devices as well.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
Tags: content, Presentation, Repeat Customers, seo, Video
Posted in Browser, Search Engine Optimization SEO, Web Development | 1 Comment »
Friday, October 15th, 2010
 Hello there! Welcome to the Internet Beacon’s awesome weblog. If you’re here for SEO tips for small businesses, you’ve come to the right place.
When you think of social media, what comes to mind? Well, for most people, it’s Twitter and Facebook. While the latter has been around for a few years more than the former, Twitter has rapidly made a name for itself. Now that Twitter has become such a huge part of social media, the question that arises is where does Twitter place in the ad game? Apparently, very high.
According to recent studies, Twitter ads are doing exceptionally better than Facebook ads. Specifically, the average amount of links clicked on Twitter is 19 per user whereas Facebook comes in at a measly 3. But why? A good guess is that Twitter is simply easier to use. It allows for quicker communication, despite that communication being limited to 140 characters. Another reason could be URL shrinkers. They make the links easier to post and quicker to access.
The take away here is that Twitter is currently outpacing Facebook for shared links. This means that if you want to get people clicking links to your site, Twitter is the place to be. Make your tweets fun, interesting, and relevant and you should have no problem getting people to notice them.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
Internet Marketing Maryland
Tags: Facebook, marketing, seo, Social Media, Twitter
Posted in Advertising, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization SEO | 1 Comment »
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