SEO Consultant, SEO Services for Local Internet Marketing
SEO Services – SEO Consultant for Local Internet Marketing.
Welcome to SEOconsultantz.com. I’m Alan Cliffe, SEO consultant for all your SEO services and would like to start by dispelling the myth of instant gratification in local internet marketing, there are no magic bullets to search engine optimisation, it may seem a slow process at first, but with a little patience you will happily see progress. If anyone tries to “Sell” you the idea of “Fast SEO Results” then remember that if you get any “fast result” at all, it will only be short lived.
As an SEO consultant I will advise of proper ethical, organic search engine optimisation which these days will need to include the use of Social Media to improve your Local Internet Marketing and needs time and patience, but will deliver long lasting results.
There is a little known fact that if you have a small business in the real world, but have no website, you can have an online presence “with or without” a website so that you can be found locally by searching on a computer or on a mobile phone, you can have this for done for you wherever you are in the world. (Except maybe places like the middle of the Sahara Desert or Antarctica, lol.) Contact us now for details.
Most companies have an established customer base, the difficulty is finding “New Customers.” If you’re a local business and can’t be found by searching on a mobile phone or on a computer, ask yourself how will new customers find you? If you’re in the Yellow Pages you’ll find that most people don’t use them any more, for most people those times have gone.
SEO consultant. Providing Social Media Marketing and SEO Services in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire and Cheshire in the UK
Professional SEO, for all your Organic SEO Marketing.
The amount of people using mobile phones to search for products and services is vastly increasing and it’s already outnumbering computer searches. These days smart phones are more popular and devices like the “iPhone and “Android Smartphones” have begun to change the way people search, they often search for local products and services while they’re on the move, out and about. These are among the people that your business needs to attract through the use of local internet marketing.
Effective search engine optimisation requires a lot of research which we can provide as one of our SEO services, the market you are in needs to be researched to discover the best keywords for your small business, which usually aren’t the first words that come to mind. If you already have a website but don’t seem to get any response from it then the keywords were probably never researched properly and so don’t attract traffic to your site.
Most people don’t realise that search engine optimisation has to take place, both “on site” and “off site,” all needing lots of research to get things right, but if you need help and have got the patience then contact us now for your free SEO consultation, and to learn more about increasing traffic and improving page rank, using local designed to build you a credible internet profile, to help to attract new business.
Please leave your thoughts in the comments box.
For your free SEO Report contact us now with your website details.
Alan Cliffe. SEO Consultant. Social Media and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, near the Staffordshire / Cheshire border, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
Social Media is just a Label
I was inspired to write this last short post of the year after watching Gary Vaynerchuk from Wine Library TV in a video earlier today, where he tries to explain that theres no such thing as social media. I just had to share it with you.
photo credit: seanrnicholson
Many Small Businesses see the internet as a complex thing and mistakenly hold back from using it, instead of seeing the benefits for public relations, a way of guaging customer satisfaction and its valuable use as a marketing strategy.
You must understand as a Small Business owner that Social Media is just a “label” for a part of the internet which allows you to show your personality rather than simply being a corporate brand. Social Media Comprises of a selection of various tools such as Facebook, Google Plus and Twitter, which enable a Small Business to interact with people on the internet.
Gary Vaynerchuk explains this perfectly in the short video below
So, in simple terms, if your Small Business isn’t on the internet or using Social Media in one form or another to engage with people on the web, then they will become the customers of the Small Business around the corner who is interacting and engaging with people.
Will your Small Business be using Social Media in 2012?
Please leave your thoughts in the comments box.
Alan Cliffe. SEO Consultant. Social Media and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, near the Staffordshire / Cheshire border, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
Most Popular Twitter Tweets of 2011
What were the most popular Twitter Tweets of 2011?
I love to read and share great content via social media and I am very interested to find which were the most popular.
My intention was to measure and record social media interactions for the the whole of 2011 but due to recovering from some serious injuries (well serious to me at least) I was only able to take into account the Twitter Tweets from latter half of the year.
So instead of the Top Ten Twitter Tweets here are the Favourite Five Tweets from Twitter for your enjoyment.
Favourite Five Twitter Tweets of 2011
1. The End Of Facebook? This tweet linked to a short video (forbes.com) where social media was discussed in general but also predicted the eventual demise of Facebook.
2. A Perfect Example of How To Get Slapped By Google Panda. Which was also a perfect example of how not to get a Google Panda slap. (searchenginewatch.com)
3. Nine Highly Recommended WordPress Plugins For Any Serious Blogger. - Some brilliant WordPress Plugins shared in this post. I would love to hear your opinion on CommentLuv, I’m thinking of using it on the blog. (getbusylivingblog.com)
4. eBay And Facebook To Announce Something Big Within Two Weeks. As far as I can tell after searching and having a few laughs, this seem that it was simply a rumour as I have found nothing solid about any Facebook – eBay social media integration. If you know any different let me know in the comment box. (techcrunch.com)
5. Should you Protect Your Privacy? Computers can now read your face like a QR code and find other images of you that exist online, does this idea tend to make you feel paranoid about social media and your privacy, or do you go with the flow? (seosmarty.com)
Please leave your thoughts in the comments box.
Alan Cliffe. SEO Consultant. Social Media and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, near the Staffordshire / Cheshire border, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
Why internet marketing is like trying to medicate your dog
Why is internet marketing like trying to medicate your dog?
Well, if you’ve ever tried to give a sick dog a pill, then you’ve probably had some fun and games, because the dogs sophisticated sense of smell will let him know what you’re up to. Mostly there’s no way that dogs will allow you to give them a pill, they will try to avoid medicine at all costs. Do you want to risk your fingers because the dog has clamped his jaws tightly shut? Even if you lift up his cheek and find a space between his teeth and prise the pill in, you’ve then got the problem of getting him to swallow it, not an easy job.
photo credit: Javiercit0
You really do need to find a way to give the dog his medicine, which makes it easy on yourself and the dog, so the object of the game is to make both you and the dog happy. The easiest way I know of to do this is to build trust and slip it into his food. This way pleases the dog, as he heartily enjoys a meal and also pleases you because you’ve been able to meditate your dog.
So what’s this got to do with Internet marketing?
The truth is that these days most people have developed quite a sophisticated smell of their own, one whiff of anything unsavoury and they will turn their nose in another direction. They know what they like and what they don’t.
They definitely don’t like companies preaching their spiel, they become blind to it, and they don’t even have to consciously avoid it, but the ones who are not blind to it, are repulsed by it and will travel as fast as they can in the opposite direction. Which is what your dog wants to do when he smells the medication!
Think about how you feel when, for instance you are using social media. Whether you are using Twitter or Facebook and you see the self promotional hype that some businesses spread, it can come to the point of becoming social media spam. How do you feel when you see this? Does it warm you to the company involved? How about when someone thrusts themselves upon you, loudly proclaiming who they are, what they do and how well they do it, as they force their business card into your hand?
These days, it pays to be subtle, you can no longer continue trying to ram your marketing message down the throats of your prospective clients, unless you want to push them away. Now is the time to start “attracting” clients and the best way to do this is to provide information that you know your ideal clients are looking for. I call it the art of “marketing without marketing.”
Marketing without marketing
“Marketing without marketing” is a method which allows you to slip the pill (your marketing message) into the dogs food (the information that your ideal clients are looking for.)
So you need to approach your Internet marketing with subtlety and respect for the sophistication of your target market. You need to adapt an Internet marketing strategy that fits into the realm of “marketing without marketing,” once you start to get into the “Mindset” of this marketing concept you will find that clients will be attracted to you. You will be using a different level of internet marketing, without marketing.
Social media can be an excellent marketing tool if used correctly. you will need to gather and share valuable resources with your target market, and engage with them on your favoured social media platform. This will allow you to build an audience of people who are interested in what you have to share. You will also build up trust within your prospective clients through the absence of any social media spam.
You will become the place to “go to” by separating yourself from the pack, doing things slightly differently, you will no longer be the same as your competition.
When you search online for a product or service are you more, or less likely to do business with someone you trust?
Isn’t it a lot easier to medicate a dog that trusts you?
This marketing concept will not feel comfortable for everyone (Thankfully) but if you want to differentiate yourself, then try this method of marketing for yourself, if you need help with the details, you know where I am.
Don’t forget share your thoughts in the comments box.
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant, Social Media Marketing and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, near the Staffordshire / Cheshire border, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
Are You Ready for the Future of Online Business?
Are We on The Brink of an Inter Connected Society?
A glimpse into the future of online business
Are you ready?
Are you ready for the future of online business?
photo credit: Simone Lovati
I thought you might enjoy this short documentary video which explores the future of the internet and its effects on business and society in general.
We are at the very beginning of what the internet will allow us to do. We will see bigger changes in in our lives within the next ten years than we have seen in the previous fifty years.
How will you take advantage of the new shopping habits?
Don’t forget share your thoughts in the comments box
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant, Social Media Marketing and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, near the Staffordshire / Cheshire border, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
Social Media Marketing gains strength in influencing search results
Social Media Marketing gains strength in influencing search results
I recently read a couple of interesting posts which I just had to share with you. the first report is quite in depth and is compiled from the observations of many respected search marketers from around the globe. Google is always tweaking its algorithms to make it easier for the user to find valuable relevant content.
2011 Overall Ranking Algorithm
Social Media Marketing gains strength in influencing search results
So here’s a short summary of what I gleaned from the report.
As I have noticed for some months now Social Media Marketing is directly affecting search results I’ve felt for quite a while that any SEO efforts for your internet marketing will be incomplete and much weaker if Social media isn’t added into the mix.
The importance of Exact Match Keyword Domains is starting to fade.
An exact match keyword or phrase domain name is one like the URL of this site www.seoconsultantz.com which has a key phrase of “SEO Consultant” within it. Although it still gives a reasonably high ranking factor, it now seems to be weakening.
A low bounce rate will have more positive results on your search rankings.
Bounce rate is a measure of the percentage of visitors entering your website and then “bounce” or exit your site before moving on to view other pages on your site. This is great news if you are able to produce a steady flow of valuable and original content for your site
Original Report - http://www.seomoz.org/article/search-ranking-factors#overview
The Panda algorithm update was designed to raise the ranking of high quality web sites by lowering the search engine rankings of low quality sites, which means websites that are of low value info for users and content that has been copied from other websites will now be penalised, even taking into account, spelling and grammar.
The second article that I read was about It seems that the Panda 2.2 update has already been accepted, and has been rolled out and, so it appears, will intend to “weed out” the sites with duplicate content which wrongly outrank the source of the original content. This will give authority to the original author, which is as it should be. The value of the Google Authorship Markup will increasingly effect search engine rankings.
To learn more about this read Google+, the promotion of rel=”author” and the acquisition of PostRank show that Google is establishing a new metric of influence
Read more - http://www.searchengineoptimizationjournal.com/2011/06/20/panda-2-update/
So now is the best time to write some original, meaningful content which will attract more readers and more backlinks. Natural link building is what happens when you post great content so beware of paying for link building services, as I foresee that the time is coming when backlinks will be less valuable unless they link to original and relevant content of value!
Any questions? Just ask, don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments box.
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant. Social Media Marketing and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, near the Staffordshire / Cheshire border, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
Google Algorithms
What Is The Point Of Google Algorithm Changes?
Welcome, below is a video about Google algorithm changes, I saw it last week, but haven’t had a chance to share it with you till now.
Any business owner who is looking for ways to increase their online marketing presence should understand that to get the best results its important to stay up to date with Google algorithm changes.
In construction for example, electricians, plumbers, bricklayers need to comply to the building regulations by law, these are often revised and amendments added according to the latest research. This is often the case for professionals in many industries isn’t it?
You may not realise it but it is much the same for search marketers, we have to keep our finger on the pulse of what’s going on with the search engine algorithms. Google for example are constantly updating, although most people never notice this.
As illustrated in the video, Google are perpetually testing and changing their algorithms to improve search results for users and remove low quality results which are usually in place due to the actions of people using SEO to “Game” the system.
The main lesson you can learn from this is that “Google Are Wise.” This means that the old methods that were used to game the system either don’t work any more, only have a temporary benefit or are becoming less effective with time.
SEO Marketing is a long term, ongoing project, short term “fixes” aren’t the answer.
If you want to improve your web presence don’t focus on the results every day or you will be panicking when you see them fall, it is natural for them to fluctuate initially. If you check your rankings monthly, you will see more realistic results, make small changes often rather than sudden major changes.
At the moment Google seems to be testing its +1 button for ranking and there are already services offering a thousand clicks on your +1 button in order to cheat the system. Don’t you reckon that Google are already wise to this?
You can find the +1 button towards the bottom left of this page, if you enjoyed this post then please click it, it may help the ranking for this post, but you can rest assured that I wont be wasting money on buying clicks that will be worthless long term, after more Google algorithm updates.
Please share your thoughts in the comments box.
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant. Social Media and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, in Staffordshire and Cheshire, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
Article Marketing, The Link Building Scam
Article Marketing – Link Building Scam
Welcome, its not often that I work into the late evening, but after seeing this this video by Rand Fishkin from SEOmoz about article marketing, I felt I had to share it with you. It just seems to illustrate everything that is wrong with this method of SEO which is now totally outdated.
In a previous post “The Perils Of Article Marketing” I tried to warn business owners not to be led astray by offers of these “so-called SEO Services. Its always better to stay on top of the game, don’t you think?
”Article marketing is mostly a scam. Well, wait… some types of article marketing are really scammy. Guest blogging, legitimate article sharing, and similar tactics are great and sustainable linkbuilding practices, but making up terrible article content and passing it off as something people should read or link to is both bad for users and bad for long-term SEO.”
From: http://www.seomoz.org/blog/article-marketing-mostly-a-scam-whiteboard-friday
I cant really add much to whats said in the video except that it also explains why Google bought Author accreditation into play, to help with the better ranking of better quality content. The video mostly says it all but, if you have any thoughts, I’d love you to share them in the comments box.
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant. Social Media and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, in Staffordshire and Cheshire, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
Google Authorship
Google Authorship.
The Importance of Google Authorship and the sudden appearance of the “About Alan” page on this site is no coincidence.
Although I’m Generally a private person, (maybe a little on the shy side, truth be told) I have had to create an “about me” page to help identify who I am. If I’ve felt as though I’ve been forced to make a choice of stepping out of my comfort zone, then I’m glad, it was just the “push” I needed to overcome my initial bashfulness and hopefully gain the benefit of being recognised for my work.
photo credit: JohnONolan
There are pros and cons to this of course. If my writing reaches the quality of Ernest Hemmingway, I will gain the credit for it, but if all my content is total rubbish, then I’m attributed to the rubbish.
Google has now provided a way for the writers of web content to have their work attributed to themselves.
Rather than me trying to be something I’m not, here’s Othar Hansson and Matt Cutts, a couple of experts from Google to explain all the technicalities.
This means everyone’s a winner. Authors will only want to produce good content. Search engines will be producing better and more relevant search results and the readers of that content will benefit from this, as all the best content from the top authors will rank higher in the SERPs.
Nothing is ever certain but I dare to predict that Link Building will still remain useful as a ranking factor, but will diminish in importance over time.
Will this be the end of duplicate content? Please leave your thoughts in the comments box.
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant. Social Media and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, in Staffordshire and Cheshire, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
Problem With Facebook Page
Problem With Facebook Page
I seem to be having a problem accessing my Facebook Page today, so I will be asking a small favour from you, but first let me explain. I’m getting this weird effect which seems to stop me going on to my profile page but allows me to read the “news feed” and accepts posts from there.
Which brings me to the point of Facebook having no user support, the best they have is their help center, which is basically a load of FAQs (frequently asked questions) to plough through.
The last thing I posted was about LinkedIn as you can see below.
I seem to be having a problem with my Facebook Page, so I will be asking a small favour from you, but first let me explain.
Recently, when posting onto my page, I’ve had to fill in a “capture form” which I don’t mind in the least, (its just Facebook checking if I’m a human, and not some sort of “spambot,” I’m all for security) but this morning maybe I made an error, I’m now wondering if I filled in the “capture box” correctly. Did I make a mistake? Have Facebook frozen me out of my facebook page?
There’s no way of finding out, unless I get a message from them or normal service is restored. This perfectly illustrates why you should have your own web property with your own URL, instead of solely relying on third party platforms such as Facebook.
I did try to “Like” my own post, being the experimental Geek that I am, the result is shown below.
Problem with Facebook page
Oh well, at least Twitter and Google+ are still working!
So could I ask you to do a small favour for me?
Here’s a link to to my Facebook Page www.facebook.com/SEOconsultantz please follow this link and let me know what you find in the comments box.
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant. Social Media and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, in Staffordshire and Cheshire, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
The Perils Of Article Marketing
The Perils Of Article Marketing
Welcome, here is a great video from Gary Marsh which made me chuckle and was the aspiration for this page. It exposes the type of rubbish that some so-called “article marketers” spam the internet with. So if someone approaches you offering “Article Marketing” as part of an seo package, then maybe you should be wary of wasting your money.
Much of this type of work is outsourced to people in countries where English is not their first language. Or a single article can be “Spun” a multitude of times using “Article Spinning” software, which when overdone, results in the type of “Gobbledygook” which is shown in this video.
The Perils Of Article Marketing
photo credit: kevindooley
The main thing I hope to point out is that it’s easy to be misled. If you end up with low quality articles which link back to your business presence on the web, then “your business” may be associated with “low quality.” None of this would be good for your ranking in the search engines.
Be careful not to become a victim of your own self-imposed Negative SEO. This is another way in which Google is Changing SEO The Game
Don’t forget share your thoughts in the comments box
If you enjoyed this post Google people press the +1 button while Facebookers press LIKE. Which one are you?
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant. Social Media Marketing and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, near the Staffordshire / Cheshire border, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
Some People Would Rather Give Up Sex Than Their Smartphone
Some People Would Rather Give Up Sex Than Their Smartphone
Welcome, I recently posted a report entitled - "How To Adapt To New Shopping Habits To Attract New Business" where I tried to describe the way in which the internet works, along with my view of the new methods people are using to search for products and services online and the growth of Smartphone usage. Here I have for you an infographic and more evidence to reveal the impact that the Smartphone boom is having at the moment. "Survey Finds That One Third of Americans Are More Willing to Give Up Sex Than Their Mobile Phones"Read more telenav.com
"Results of a recent national survey* commissioned by TeleNav, Inc. (NASDAQ: TNAV) indicate that Americans are willing to give up some of life's greatest pleasures in order to hang on to their mobile phones. Not surprisingly, smartphone users were more attached to their devices than were feature phone users, with iPhone users leading the pack. In fact, iPhone users were more likely than their Android or BlackBerry counterparts to spend a week without their significant other, exercise or shoes—rather than go a week without their phone".
"According to the research, a quarter of all adults and nearly half of teenagers now own a smartphone — with nearly 60 per cent of all smartphones, including Android, BlackBerry and iPhone devices, bought in the past year. Teenagers are not only leaving behind books and television in favour of their smartphone, adults are becoming slaves to their handhelds, too".
Read more zdnet.com
All this goes to show that if youre not online with your business yet, then its time to take action.
Don’t forget share your thoughts in the comments box
If you enjoyed this post Google people press the +1 button while Facebookers press LIKE. Which one are you?
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant. Social Media Marketing and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, near the Staffordshire / Cheshire border, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
Google is Changing The Game, Take Advantage Now to Help Your Business
Google is Changing The Game, Take Advantage Now to Help Your Business
Google is transforming through a process of evolution to help your business
Because of the emergence of “Google Plus,” there are those who are saying that SEO is dead.
Others are saying that “Social Media Marketing” is too complex to engage in, successfully.
SEO isn’t dead, Search Marketing has moved on, through a process of evolution along with the search engines, SEO is constantly transforming. The true masters of SEO have moved on, after realising that Search Engine Optimisation and Social Media Marketing are merging more each day and are becoming interdependent.
Google has also moved on, and taken (arguably) its biggest step ever, they have been working towards this and have finally entered the 21st century after realising that it is “the people” who decide what they like and what is relevant to them. Google’s search result will now begin to greatly improve after this dramatic shift towards the social media world.
Today, the reason for the “+1 Button” is clear, it is there to add a social perspective to Google search results. The speed of this will also be driven by the growth of “Google Plus.”
You can no longer afford to avoid interacting with your market. You need to utilise the power of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google Plus, you need to start with one of these at the very least, you can not remain anonymous.
Google is Changing The Game of SEO and Social Media Marketing, Discover Why You Should Take Advantage Now to Help Your Business
Now is the time for you to move on and take your biggest step ever. Let others worry about the weak economy, you have to drive your own economy.
Its time to move on, let other businesses worry about what the competition is doing.
Let the competition worry about whether they’ll get a “lead” from the “business lunch” networking club.
Don’t bother about what the competition are doing, they are not the enemy. Move ahead now, leave them standing and let them worry about what “you” are doing. Inertia and procrastination are your enemy.
You can not wait to see what happens, you need to take action to make things happen.
The future of business on the internet is changing.
If you are ready to take advantage of the recent changes, to move your business into the 21st century, then contact me to discover how.
Don’t forget share your thoughts in the comments box
If you enjoyed this post Google people press the +1 button while Facebookers press LIKE. Which one are you?
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant. Social Media Marketing and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, near the Staffordshire / Cheshire border, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
How To Adapt To New Shopping Habits To Attract New Business
How To Adapt To New Shopping Habits To Attract New Business
Do you have a small business?
A shop on the high street?
Have you noticed the increase in empty retail outlets?
What is the reason for all these closed businesses?
Could it be they were trading in the style of the 20th century?
Have failed to take advantage of 21st century shopping habits?
Are you affected by new shopping habits?
What are these new shopping habits?
Social Marketing via various Social Media Platforms, Local Search and Mobile Phone Browsing.
An internet property such as your website or blog isn’t like a bricks and mortar building, its more like a boat. The internet does not have a solid foundation, it is like a flowing liquid, moving forward, but changing direction all the time. So unless you want to leave your boat stuck in port, not going anywhere you will need a good navigator, keeping an eye on the compass and which way the flow is going. Its always best to go with the flow, because going against it is very slow going.
How To Adapt To New Shopping Habits To Attract New Business
Photo courtesy of Dietmar Lichota (crlbvi)
If your business already has a website you may be wondering why it gets no visitors, or you may not realise that your website isn’t “mobile friendly.”
Some businesses are struggling, not realising that they are trading in the style of the 20th century, failing to take advantage of 21st century shopping habits. What are these new shopping habits? They include “Local Search,” “Social Media Marketing ” and the use of Smartphone’s.
Social Media Marketing, is increasingly becoming an integral part of SEO, influencing the search engines, which makes it a valuable piece of the puzzle within the internet marketing world. If we go back to the vision of the boat, then Social Media Marketing helps to put the wind in the sails.
The growth in popularity of the Smartphone is a big factor in this equation. Smartphone use is set to overtake the use of desktop computers by 2015. Tablets and mobile devices already rule the Wi-Fi networks. A smartphone is so convenient, carry it anywhere, find the goods and services that you are looking for while you are out and about.
Businesses these days prosper in a different way, advances in technology continue to rearrange how advertising, marketing and sales are done. New Social Media technologies continue to increase their power in taking the lead with competitors.
A lack of understanding and knowledge prevents some business owners from promoting their business effectively online to compliment or replace traditional marketing techniques such as local newspaper ads, radio advertising, direct mail, telesales, yellow pages, TV commercials and Email.
You don’t need to let this lack of knowledge or understanding hold you back any longer.
If you need help in taking your business forward in this digital age – Contact us now to explore how your business can attract more business on a “Pay As You Go” Basis which means no lengthy contract.
Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments box.
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant. Social Media Marketing and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, near the Staffordshire / Cheshire border, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
Google Places – local search listings now outrank the other organic search results.
Google Places – local search listings now outrank the other organic search results
In a previous post (Is Google Ruining Local Search with Google Places?) I flirted with the idea that Google places was ruining local search but it seems to be good news for local small businesses everywhere. Local Marketing Online is growing faster than ever. This is a massive opportunity for small local businesses to take right now, whether offline or online.
WHY?
Because it looks like Google is giving the edge to local small businesses through “Google Places,” by placing local search results above the other organic search results. This is a new strategy by Google to give the millions of small businesses, that are not yet online, a chance to get online, which in turn
gives Google users an enhanced way of finding exactly what they want from a business local to them.
This is the best chance for small businesses to establish an online presence in their own locality. Any small business which doesn’t take advantage of this now, will find that their competition will jump ahead with all the new customers finding them online.
Google Places local search now outranks organic search results
Is your business on the map? “Google Places” is free, anyone can claim their own ”Google Place” for their business location, but the better optimised ”Google Places” will enjoy a higher position in the rankings. So its important to claim your ”Google Place” and get it optimised now to take advantage of Mobile Marketing and New Shopping Habits.
Contact me for help with claiming and optimising your “Google Place” for a more prominent position in the Google local listings.
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant. Social Media Marketing and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, near the Staffordshire / Cheshire border, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
Is Google Ruining Local Search with Google Places?
Is Google Ruining Local Search with Google Places?
“Google Local,” which is now known as “Google Places,” and is used for local search, is in the transition stage once again. Through input from contacts I have in different parts of the world it seems that Google is testing Google Places, as at the moment, different browsers have different results and layouts in differing international locations. It seems they haven’t quite made their mind up yet, so it will be interesting to see the results of their tests.
A search for “watchmaker Birmingham” in the UK on Internet Explorer shows this layout with the location pointer next to the Google Places map and placed above the organic search results.
Searching for “watchmaker New York” in the US on the Google Chrome browser shows the location pointers above the organic search results with the map placed separatly on the right hant side.
Searching for “watchmaker Sidney” in Austalia gives us a page with the Google Places map over to the right and the location pointers within the organic search results.
So far, looking at three different browers, in three major cities around the world, we find three different layouts, as shown.
Have you seen different layouts in Google Places search results where you are? What are your thoughts on this? Use the comments below.
Stay tuned, and I’ll keep you posted!
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant Social Media Marketing and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, near the Staffordshire / Cheshire border, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
Link Building Services
Link Building Services
Link building is a vital piece of the puzzle in search engine optimisation, and involves gaining backlinks from various other places on the internet. Don’t undervalue the influence of these backlinks. A great deal of a site’s potency, as far as the search engines are concerned, is measured by the amount and relevance of all inbound links.
So your pagerank is largely determined by the quality and number of relevant links pointing back to your site and also provide another way of bringing traffic to your website. The more relevance the backlink has, then it follows that the traffic that it brings will be more targeted.
Link building, when done correctly is one of the most successful ways of increasing your websites visibility. A link from a high authority webpage will also help to add credibility to your site. This is where professional management of your link building will reap all the rewards for you.
You may use methods such as Article Marketing, Blog Marketing, Directory Submission, Micro Blogs, Social Media and Forum Activity to enhance your online presence, build up your search engine rank, produce robust and highly beneficial links and intensify your web traffic.
Since writing this page, Google has changed the SEO game.
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant Social Media Marketing and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, near the Staffordshire / Cheshire border, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
Keyword Research
Keyword Research
Keyword research provides the building blocks for any effective website. In my time, I’ve been lucky enough to work on websites covering a wide range of topics and working with an equally wide range of clients, who all thought they knew exactly what keywords they should use on their site.
Business owners are usually quite “expert” at their field, but they very often misjudge the way in which new customers would find them online, they tend to use their own “industrial jargon,” forgetting that most new customers don’t speak the “language” of their industry and will use their own language when searching for a product or service.
This is where keyword research is vitally important to the success of a website, as it is essential that “keyword phases” that are highly used “search
terms,” are targeted to attract new clients.
You may ask ”what’s the difference between websites that use an educated guess to find keywords and a website that’s actually researched which keywords to use?”
The websites competing at the top of the rankings will have been researched for relevant keywords to attract more traffic, and the ones using “educated
guesswork” will rank below these.
With research websites can be optimised for better keywords, although it is usually better to do all the research for a good foundation to build the site on.
Contact me to find out how I can help you with Keyword Research.
Please leave your thoughts in the comment box
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant. Social Media Marketing and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, near the Staffordshire / Cheshire border, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
SEO Expert?
SEO Expert?
You will find many an SEO expert out there, all promising and guaranteeing you a first page place on Google, but the truth is, no-one can guarantee what position you will get in any search results, the search engines are constantly evolving, and so SEO must also evolve to give you the best chance of a good position.
A quick confession, I wouldn’t say I’m an expert and I’m not really a web designer, or at least I don’t build pretty websites, look at this website for example, not pretty, but clean and hopefully informative. On balance, I’ve not found many “Web Designers” who know anything about SEO. This is why there are so many people who own a website, feel let down by internet marketing and feel its no good. What they don’t realise is that they haven’t got any internet marketing working for them, because little or no research or optimisation was ever done for their site.
Have you ever wondered why your website gets hardly any traffic?
I have dabbled with graphic design, but I was always drawn towards making a site which could actually be found. It seemed to me, what’s the point of have a really nice looking website if no one can find it. Photography websites are a common example lots of pretty pictures all using “Flash”, which cant be read by the search engines, and so suffer from a low volume of traffic. I always thought it better to have an informative website full of relevant content for whatever niche market you are in and through the years I’ve been proven right.
Which would you prefer, a “real pretty” website which cant be found or an informative, website which is optimised to attract targeted traffic?
If You would like to learn more, send your website details from the contact us page and we will send you a free report.
Alan Cliffe SEO Consultant. Social Media Marketing and SEO Services, Stoke on Trent, near the Staffordshire / Cheshire border, ST4 4BL, UK. 01782860148.
