Posts in Category: Search Engine Optimization SEO Page 5

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.

Poison Keywords An Easy Way to Get Blacklisted by Search Engines

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

Hey, Josh here from the Internet Beacon. We are a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firm located in Reisterstown, Maryland. What we do, SEO, is a subcategory of Internet Marketing. Similar to traditional advertising, SEO is all about getting your Brand out there. In this case, we’re working to get your website in front of customers through search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. For more quick, useful information, check out our SEO Answers page, our SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO.

There is a theory floating around the Internet about something called “poison keywords” for SEO. In essence, poison keywords are words or series of words that have been flagged by search engines as unacceptable. This is not based on the level of propriety, but rather on what they keywords intend to do.

The biggest example of a poison keyword, according to some online discussion, is using “search engine” as a tag for your website. Search engines like Google and Yahoo know what people are onto when they use those tags. Essentially, people are looking to get free page views based on keywords that don’t accurately define their site.

Another supposed poison keyword is “forum”. This seems to be mostly speculation. I haven’t found any evidence to support the idea yet. Most SEO professionals I’ve read say that it is nonsense. Mostly this idea comes from software giving you tips on your meta data.

That’s all for this week, folks. Check back with us next week! Also, feel free to stop by our new location at 406 Main Street, Reisterstown, MD! We’ll be there tomorrow.

-Josh

Internet Beacon
SEO Maryland

Tags: Internet Marketing, keywords, seo
Posted in Search Engine Optimization SEO | 2 Comments »

Internet Marketing – Knowing Your Target Audience

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Knowing Your Target Audience In Your Store and Online

Hey, Josh here from the Internet Beacon. We are a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firm located in Maryland. What we do, SEO, is a subcategory of Internet Marketing. Similar to traditional advertising, SEO is all about getting your Brand out there. In this case, we’re working to get your website in front of customers through search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. For more quick, useful information, check out our SEO Answers page, our SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO.

While we here at Internet Beacon specialize in Internet Marketing, what we don’t specialize in is each individual client’s target market. That it not to say we can’t help you with this area. It does mean that if you already know your target market, working together goes faster and smoother. To this end, here are some tips on how to get to know your target market.

First, see who buys your products. This sounds easier than it is, but it is important. If you have a storefront, keep track of who comes in. Then, note who buys things and who browses. If you have a large amount of teenagers coming in to buy things, then you need to make sure you are reaching that market. If your store specifically caters to a particular crowd, like stay-at-home moms, take steps to ensure they are being targeted by your marketing. This will extend to your presence online as well.

Second, tailor your website to reflect not only your business’ offerings, but also the type of clientele you are trying to reach. If your store sells extreme sports merchandise, your website needs to show this. Don’t use boring colors or plain advertisements. This is an area in which we can assist you. We will meet with you and get your feedback on how you want your website to look. From there, we go to work using your specifications. Remember, getting your target demographic to notice you means getting to know… Read the rest

Tags: internet, Internet Marketing, market, marketing, online, seo, store, target, target audience, target market, website
Posted in Internet Marketing, Marketing Plan, Search Engine Optimization SEO | No Comments »

Tips for Choosing the Right Keywords For Your Site

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

As we’ve discussed in previous posts, keywords are a big part of SEO. They help to identify your site to search engines, and give them something to associate with the web address. For this reason, they are one of the building blocks of SEO. Here are some tips for choosing the keywords you want to use.

Be Accurate

Accuracy is important here. If you are a florist in Baltimore, pick keywords that match your business. Keywords like “flowers Baltimore”, “Baltimore Florist”, etc will be perfect here. They accurately describe what you do and where you do it. If you chose something like “local business Baltimore”, then you will most likely see negative results. That’s because, while you ARE a local business in Baltimore, so is EVERYONE ELSE in Baltimore. You’ve cast too wide a net, and therefore will get lost among the other companies.

Be Specific, but not TOO Specific

Specificity is your friend when choosing keywords. However, if you over-specify, you will likely get lost I the crowd. A great way to think about this is trying to imagine what your potential customers will search for online. If you a store that specializes in comic books from the 1930s and 1940s, then something specific like “Golden Age comic books” would work well for you since it is a specific niche you are filling. However, that same keyword will not bring in people looking for regular comics. As you can see, this part is tricky.

When choosing keywords, make sure you talk to your SEO professional about how you want to describe your business online. They can often make… Read the rest

Tags: business, choosing, internet, keywords, search, seo
Posted in Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization SEO | 1 Comment »

Five Ways You Can Build Your Business Using the Internet

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

Hey everyone, Josh here from the Internet Beacon. The Internet Beacon is a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firm located in Maryland. What we do, SEO, is a form of Internet Marketing. Much like traditional advertising, SEO is all about getting your name out there. In this case, we’re working to get your website in front of customers through search engines like Google and Yahoo. For more information, check out our SEO Answers page, SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO. This week I’d like to give you five tips for growing your business using the Internet.

Perception is Everything

This is true in all walks of life, but especially on the Internet. People don’t get to see the person running the website. All they see is the site itself. If it looks like it was made using a basic text editor by someone’s cousin, that is the impression they get. They don’t notice the actual business as much. For this reason, it is important to have your website designed by a professional. My advice is to start small, and then branch out as necessary. Not every site needs a flashy intro, but they all need to look professional.

Preserve and Optimize your Advertising Budget

Getting your name out there can be challenging on the World Wide Web. It may seem like you are up against anyone and everyone. In some sense, you are. You are up against them for people’s time. So make sure you are taking the right steps to ensure that potential customers see your website before others. To this end, make sure a portion of your advertising budget goes towards Internet Marketing. This is a more and more important part of today’s economy, and you don’t want to miss it.

Build Relationships

While it’s true that your goal is to succeed as a business, few, if any, people can do it alone. This is why it is important to get to know the competition. They may not be as bad as you think. Many might be just… Read the rest

Tags: business, internet, Internet Marketing, marketing, seo, website
Posted in Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization SEO | No Comments »

3 Ways to Make Your Site More SEO Friendly

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Hey everyone, Josh here from the Internet Beacon. We’re a Search Engine Optimization(SEO) firm located in Finksburg, MD. What we do, SEO, is a form of Internet Marketing. Much like traditional advertising, SEO is all about getting your name out there. In this case, we’re working to get your website in front of customers through search engines like Google and Yahoo. For more information, check out our SEO Answers page and our blog post on SEO.

This week, I’d like to talk about making your website SEO friendly.

Avoid the Photo Album

Unless, of course, you’re hosting a photo album. What I mean here is that while graphics and picture can add a lot to your website, be careful when using them in place of text. Search engines like Google don’t pick up what is inside the image. If it is an important piece of information for your site (i.e. a keyword, area of focus), try using text to represent it. This way you don’t miss out on getting noticed.

Make Sense

I’ve talked about this before, but making sure your content makes sense goes a long way towards successful SEO. A part of our work involves making sure things like keyword density are where they should be. If instead of three solid paragraphs of information, say company history, you have ten two sentence groupings, it will be harder to work with your site. This could involve a large amount of proposed rewrites, which takes more time.

Know Your Site

Using keywords is an important part of SEO. However, you must use the right keywords. If your site is about selling your organic fruit directly to customers, then words like “banana” and “kiwi” will likely come up a lot. However, if you sell bulldog themed neckties, odds are these do not fit. This is important. Part of how your site is ranked is based on the text, so make sure it is relevant.

That’s all for this week. Thanks for stopping by! We’ll see you next week.

-Josh
Internet Beacon

SEO Baltimore
SEO Maryland

Tags: Blog Hints, friendly, seo
Posted in Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization SEO | No Comments »

Four Ways to Create a Buzz in Social Networking

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Hey everyone, Josh here from the Internet Beacon. We’re a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firm located in Finksburg, MD. What we do, SEO, is a form of Internet Marketing. Much like traditional advertising, SEO is all about getting your name out there. In this case, we’re working to get your website in front of customers through search engines like Google and Yahoo. For more information, check out our SEO Answers page and our blog post on SEO. This week, I’d like to talk about creating a buzz in social networking.

Everybody Likes Free Stuff

This is universally true. Whether it’s pens, hats, or coffee mugs, people love getting things for free. Check your desk, odds are you have a pen from a business you’ve visited recently. Promotions on the Internet are similar. You want to give customers something of yours for free so that they come back for more and, at the same time, tell their friends to visit your site. Twitter is great for this. It requires very little interaction on the part of the user, as they simply follow your company name (i.e. @IBeacon) and receive updates from you. Many businesses have used this to attract traffic. They give away free software, consultations, etc. Find what works for you and give it a shot.

People Want the Inside Scoop

Along the lines of giving away free stuff, many people want to know what is going on before others do. You should reward people for their interest in your company. For example, the website Penny Arcade has a mailing list that only sends out a message occasionally, but they always include coupon codes and links that are not publicly broadcast. This is a great way to treat loyal online customers. Try posting a coupon code with limited use on a company Facebook page and see what happens. Remember to plan for a large amount of people taking advantage of these savings. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Make Friends and Influence People

For sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, grouping options exist for people and… Read the rest

Tags: Blog Hints, company, create, customers, Facebook, internet, marketing, people, rss, seo, website
Posted in Blog Hints, Search Engine Optimization SEO | No Comments »

Three Things to Avoid When Choosing an SEO Provider

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Welcome to the Internet Beacon blog. My name is Josh. The Internet Beacon is a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firm located in Finksburg, MD. SEO is a form of Internet Marketing. What we do is work with you to get your website among the top ranked results for select keywords related to your business. For a more detailed explanation, check out our SEO Answers page and our blog post on SEO.

Today I’d like to talk about avoiding SEO companies that promise the world. What I mean by this is someone who will tell you that they can get your website on the top ten results on Google inside of a week or two; or that they know the “secret” of SEO. The truth is SEO takes a lot of time and work if done properly. If not, you may have just thrown hundreds of dollars away. Here are three things to watch out for when choosing an SEO company.

1) The Promise

You’ve met with the young, fashionable director of SEO at “Marketing, Inc Corporation International” about doing SEO for your small business. He threw around a lot of cool buzzwords and told you that, for a small fee, your site will be the most popular location on the Internet. For the most part, this is obviously an attempt to get your money. Let me say this clearly, it is not possible to become, overnight, the hottest thing on the Internet. Thank this guy for his time and move on.

2) The Secret

The website you’ve discovered has finally “found the secret to SEO”. They can’t tell you how, but they have mastered this process. All they need is your money and they will make your site an Internet phenomenon. This is a lie. There is no secret to SEO. It is a process like anything else. Good SEO takes time and, only after that time, will results begin to surface.

3) The Quick Fix (That Lasts!)

Some SEO providers will tell you that all you need is their one time service to meet your SEO… Read the rest

Tags: Blog Hints, internet, search engine optimization, seo, site, time, website
Posted in Search Engine Optimization SEO | No Comments »

Search Engine Optimization: Getting Your Name Out There

Friday, January 29th, 2010


Hey, everyone. Josh here from the Internet Beacon. We’re a Search Engine Optimization firm located in Finksburg, Maryland. In my previous posts, I’ve talked a little bit about helpful tips for using your computer and the Internet in general. Today, I’d like to get into what we really do here at the Internet Beacon.

The proper term for our business is SEO, meaning Search Engine Optimization. But what does that really mean? Well, our goal is to engineer your website so that when someone searches for a business that does what you do in your locality, your company will be among the first results. It’s one of many forms of Internet Marketing. At first, it can seem slightly complicated. Knowing the ins and outs of how search engines, like Google, come up with their results is part of our job. We do a lot of behind the scenes work to get the job done.

Part of getting the job done involves checking keyword density. Keyword density is exactly what it sounds like. We make sure that keywords related to your company, let’s say “roofing Maryland” if you are a roofing company, appear prominently on your site. Part of this task is also making sure that it works organically on your site. You would get nowhere by having a paragraph comprised solely of “roofing Maryland”. Search engines know shortcuts like that are cheap and you can actually get your site penalized!

That’s just part of what we do for you here at the Internet Beacon. There are a lot of other methods for getting your business out there, but I could go on for pages and pages about them. Suffice it to say we worry about this stuff so you don’t! Well, that’s all for this week. I’ll see you next week.