Posts Tagged ‘Internet Marketing’
Description of ‘Internet Marketing’ Tag:
Friday, November 11th, 2011
In any type of business there is always competition, some industries just face more of it than others. If you are like most people then you probably have a hard time dealing with the stress brought on by your competitors. If you feel this way about competition it is completely normal but if you know how to use your competitors to your advantage you can almost always turn this into a positive feeling. Competition isn’t all bad because it helps us to better ourselves or our business because it plays off our relentless desire to be the best that we can be.
 With Search Engine Optimization the goal is to have your website ranked the highest and receive the most traffic or conversions. Being the most prominent and relevant website is crucial to the success of most businesses. The competing websites that you encounter when performing your SEO may seem like a bad thing, however they can almost always assist you in making better internet marketing decisions. It may seem sneaky to spy on your competitors but it has become a common practice and competitive analysis is a crucial component to website marketing. Knowing who your competitors are and how they are conducting their SEO can provide you with some very valuable marketing data. Below is a short list of how you can benefit from exploring the trends and movements of the top competitors for yours or your client’s website.
Social Media:
Social Media is probably the easiest place to start. Check out what social networking sites that your competitors are using and see which ones would be beneficial to your website. In addition see how they are using these sites to communicate with their audience and what type of content they offer on their social pages. Identifying how your competition is using these platforms is a great way to get an idea of what people like, what they don’t like, what is successful, what isn’t successful, and what you can be doing that they aren’t.
Meta… Read the rest
Tags: backlinks, competition, competitors, competitve analysis, Internet Marketing, keywords, seo
Posted in Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization SEO | 7 Comments »
Friday, August 19th, 2011
One of the most important and easiest Search Engine Optimization concepts is keyword placement. SEO Keyword placement refers to the integration of targeted keywords into locations on and off the webpage. Keywords or key phrases are generated to represent the terms that users search for when trying to locate your company and website. A website using the wrong or inaccurate keywords is as equally bad as a website that ignores keywords all together.
Keyword Cloud
Having accurate and descriptive keywords however is only the first part of the equation. Once you establish a list of relevant keywords they then need to be strategically placed throughout the website in order to increase traffic. Each individual page of your website should be optimized for one to three unique keywords. Selecting keywords along with the placement of these keywords is crucial in order to increase your website’s visibility and guide targeted traffic directly to your website. Below are the 10 most important positions to consider when performing keyword placement.
Where to Use Keywords:
It is recommended that you always place your keywords near the beginning of the title tag. Not using your keywords in the website’s title tag can make it extremely difficult to rank for your targeted keywords. Keyword placement in the title tag is thought to be the most important search engine ranking factors, each page title should be unique to that page and optimized for that specific keyword.
Although the Meta Description Tag seems to play a very little role in the actual search engine ranking it can still be used to influence potential customers to visit your website. Any keywords that your description tag has in common with the search query will appear bolded in the Search engine results page (SERP). Similar to the title tag each page should also have a unique description tag that targets only 1-2 keywords.
… Read the rest
Tags: Internet Marketing, keyword, keyword placement, keywords, Links, search engine, seo, website
Posted in Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization SEO, Web Tips | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011
Most people can agree that social media has drastically changed the way businesses perform online marketing. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have provided businesses with the resources to create detailed portfolios and interact freely with their customers. Some companies even believe that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is no longer important and social media should be their main focus.
Does SEO still matter? Social media sites have done a great job of connecting businesses with customers. However even with all the advantages that social media has to offer it shouldn’t replace SEO. Instead social media websites should be thought of as a complement to SEO rather than its substitute.
There are many benefits to using social media like attracting new clients, staying in contact with clients, and the ability to build a positive reputation. It’s clear that due to its popularity social media has begun to push other key SEO elements into the background but that doesn’t mean those elements are not still important. As important as Social media is it remains only one portion of the SEO puzzle. The following is a list of reasons why SEO still matters.
1. SEO Finds The People That Want to Find You!
Social networking will put you in front of other social media users but that doesn’t mean they are customers. With SEO you have a better chance of being found by buyers. Social media is often used to communicate with users that are already part of your circle whereas SEO can be used to draw in users to your circle.
2. SEO Provides More Relevance to Customers!
Social media can increase awareness of your company but with Search Engine Optimization you can specifically target customers seeking your product or service. SEO helps you rank for relevant searches which increases the chance of conversion. Additionally each keyword can be optimized to target a different group of consumers.
3. SEO Enhances The Conversion Process!
As mentioned, SEO focuses more on increasing the chances of conversion. SEO focuses on streamlining the conversion process. Every step… Read the rest
Tags: Internet Marketing, marketing, media, search engine optimization, seo, social, Social Media
Posted in Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization SEO, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »
Thursday, July 7th, 2011
YouTube is a video sharing site that works similar to a video search engine. YouTube differs from a video search engine because it does not utilize crawlers to search the internet for videos. Instead, YouTube relies on users to upload their own video files. Like most social media sites YouTube is a great resource for free marketing. Anyone with an account can upload a YouTube video, the real goal is to increase your presence and offer value or entertainment to the other users. The following tips focus on the various aspects of YouTube video optimization and are designed to increase your YouTube marketing efforts.
from http://www.youtube.com/ July 2011
Increasing Search Success:
Similar to Search Engine Optimization, one of your objectives is to use terms that your customers are searching for. Using the same words or phrases that are being searched for will make your video much easier to locate. Although they are not specifically designed for YouTube, some of the same tools used for SEO keyword research can also help generate some popular video search terms. With any marketing the step of selecting the right trigger words is vital either with or without the help of a keyword tool.
When it comes to keyword research and competitive analysis users can also gather information in a number of other ways. For example when performing a search on YouTube you can begin your research by paying attention to the auto suggestions that appear when typing. The auto suggestions identify the terms that other users have recently searched for that relate to your video’s topic. Gathering search patterns surrounding your topic enables you to target your audience more appropriately and will guide more traffic to your content. In addition to the search suggestions, YouTube also provides a list of related terms. Along with the related videos and search suggestion a marketer can also take cues from their competition. Performing competitive analysis by viewing the most popular videos on your subject is a sure fire way to generate new ideas… Read the rest
Tags: Internet Marketing, marketing, Video, video optimization, YouTube, YouTube advertising, YouTube video
Posted in Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »
Friday, May 13th, 2011
Recently Google has begun testing a new search engine results page (SERP) with a limited group of Google users. It is unknown what criteria Google used to determine which users were given this opportunity and because there is no opt in for testing most users can only experience the new page via screenshots.
It remains unclear whether or not Google will further expand this sample testing or even continue in the same direction once they acquire usability feedback. Due to the limited testing being fairly recent no real results have been released other than the initial feedback from users that the new page is ugly or that it looks better, which really depends only on the users taste and not the designs usefulness.
From Google, May 2011
For the users that were not selected to participate in the new  search results page trial you can view the changes at Google’s New Search Interface. As you can see from the screen capture it seems that Google has eliminated or scaled down the amount of information provided for each search result. The text has also decreased in size and appears cleaner with more white space. The older results page features a darker blue, green, and purple text color whereas the new page showcases brighter but muted pastel colors. The new colors go a long way to make the page look prettier but don’t offer the same contrast as the old page and instead can make it harder for some users to view because the bright on white color scheme. In addition there is also less page identification because the page title is no longer underlined.
Whenever there is a change with Google we have to ask how will this impact Search Engine Optimization? The main concern with this trial SERP is with the increase in white space between search results. Although the page certainly looks cleaner, the insertion of more space creates… Read the rest
Tags: Google, Internet Marketing, results, search engine, Search Results, SERP, Testing, user
Posted in Search Engine Optimization SEO, Search Engines | 2 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 »
Thursday, September 23rd, 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.
Marketing is something that all businesses need. Whether you use flyers to notify people of your awesome new lemonade stand or skywriting to attract people to the sweet new laser tag center you’ve opened, you need to get people to notice your business. Here at the Internet Beacon, we specialize in Internet Marketing. Now, that means we focus on how to get people to see your website. From there, we then need to convert them to leads. Post Click Marketing comes into play here.
PCM is an emerging trend in Internet Marketing that focuses on turning those visitors into valuable customers. This is done through constant analysis of site visitor data. There are several ways to do this. Keywords are a great place to start. You can track who is coming to your site and, importantly, what keywords they are using to find it. This lets you know how your SEO is working and what needs to be tweaked.
Another focal point of PCM is
Marketing is something that all businesses need. Whether you use flyers to notify people of your awesome new lemonade stand or skywriting to attract people to the sweet new laser tag center you’ve opened, you need to get people to notice your business. Here at the Internet Beacon, we specialize in Internet Marketing. Now, that means we focus on how to get people to see your website. From there, we then need to convert them to leads. Post Click Marketing comes into play here.
PCM is an emerging trend in Internet Marketing that focuses on turning those visitors into valuable customers. This is done through constant analysis of site visitor data. There are several ways to do this. Keywords are a great place to start. You can track who is coming to your site and, importantly, what keywords they are using to find it. This lets you know how your SEO is… Read the rest
Tags: get people, Internet Marketing, marketing, PCM, seo, Small Business
Posted in Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization SEO | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
 Hello and welcome to the Internet Beacon! We’re an SEO firm in Maryland.
There are a lot of ways to make advertising work for your website. You can go with banner ads, simple links to sponsors, or a lot of other options. One of the most controversial forms of advertising on webpages is the in-text ad method.
In-Text ads are essentially links generated based on keywords that appear in your page. They are typically double-underlined and when a user rolls their mouse over them, a tiny pop-up appears with an advertisement relating to that word.
Users are divided on how they feel about this form of advertising. While it does not always seem as intrusive as banner ads, with their occasional flashing and bright colors, they can also be frustrating when simply trying to read an article. Imagine trying to read a book and every time you come across the word “ship”, it shows a little picture of a ship and lists places to buy them. It would drive you mad.
No one expects websites to be used for free. Whether you use a membership format or support our site through ads, you have to pay the bills somehow. However, there are ways to balance your need for income with your need to keep readers coming back.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
for More info on SEO, check out our SEO Answers page, our SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO. SEO in MD, improve search engine results
Tags: ads, advertising, Banners, Internet Marketing, seo
Posted in Advertising, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization SEO | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
 Hey, Josh here from the Internet Beacon.
Running a business is a time consuming process, especially if you are a small business owner. Your focus is on getting your product or service delivered to the masses. You’re talented in a specific area or areas. However, you need to figure out a way for people to hear about your business. Well, an SEO Expert specializes in getting your name out there. Here are some reasons why you should hire one to promote your business.
Specialization
Just like you know how to do what you do best, an SEO expert knows how this process works. They’ve specialized in how to market your website efficiently. Trust them to take care of this process. This way you can focus on what you do best, running your business.
Affordability
Lots of things seem cheaper to do on your own at the start. Sure, you can fix that noise in your car. Sure, you can take care of that pesky plumbing issue. Only once more problems have arisen does it turn out to cost a lot more than hiring a professional. The same goes with SEO. Letting a professional manage your Internet Marketing will not only save you money long term, but also time.
Getting Results
This is a combination of the first two reasons, as well as many other factors. In the end, a professional will get better results. They know the ins and outs of an industry that might be entirely foreign to you. Lots of people aren’t as Internet savvy as they’d like. So let the professionals deliver a quality service to you.
-Josh
Internet Beacon
More info on SEO, check out our SEO Answers page, our SEO Glossary, and our blog posts on SEO.
SEM – Search Engine Marketing in Maryland
Tags: business, Internet Marketing, marketing, seo, Small Business, Suggestions
Posted in Search Engine Optimization SEO | 2 Comments »
Friday, July 30th, 2010
 Hey, Josh here from the InternetBeacon. The InternetBeacon is an Internet Marketing firm located in Maryland. Our primary focus, 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.
A huge part of advertising, especially if you are a small business, is getting the local demographic. Sure you can market to “The Internet”, but that is a large-scale endeavor. A great strategy is to start locally, then move global. To do this, you can explore a form of marketing called “Geo Marketing”, which I will refer to as GM.
GM allows for you to tailor your content and marketing push in order to reach your local market first. There are several ways to accomplish GM effectively. First, you can use software in conjunction with your web server.
The two big uses are gathering data and reacting to that data. As far as gathering data, you can use special software to gather the IP address of the visitors to your site. An IP address is unique to a location, like a ZIP code. Some of them can be more specific than others, but you will still walk away with the general area of the people visiting your site the most. This is very useful information, especially where the next part of GM is concerned, using the data.
First, you can use this data to see how well certain markets are responding to your marketing. If you have been putting up billboards in Town A and there is an increasing… Read the rest
Tags: Data, Geo Marketing, Internet Marketing, IP Address, seo
Posted in GEO Targeting, Search Engine Optimization SEO | 1 Comment »
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