Aug/090
New Series: Utilizing Google
Google has many extraordinary tools. And the best part? Many are free. I use Google everyday to improve my efficiency and in this series I will explore a variety of tools, showing you their practical capabilities and uses for your business. The main focus will be Google’s free tools; however, some of their paid tools will be examined as well.
Some Google Tools to be Covered
Analytics
AdWords
Local Business Center
Base (beta)
Webmaster Tools
AdSense
Website Optimizer
Friend Connect
Site Search
Apps for Businesses
Checkout
Gmail
Voice
Wave (coming later this year)
I think by now you get the point: Google offers a large variety of services. All but a few of those I just listed are free. In this coming series I will cover these and give you the necessary resources to begin utilizing any number of these. In the mean time, you may want to look over Google’s Business Solutions to get a feel for some of their services before I cover them here.
Your First Step
If you don’t have a Google account already, then it’s time to sign up for one (it is free). Sign up.
Stay in tune as this series unfolds to learn how to utilize these free and inexpensive tools Google offers.
Aug/090
SEO – Sitemaps
sitemap – an index for your website’s pages
This simple but powerful tool is often said to be at the heart of SEO, especially if you have many pages. There are a few guidelines to follow when planning your sitemap:
1. Use plain text links
2. Use keywords in the links
3. Use a simple layout
A sitemap helps search engines index your site and helps them find pages they might have otherwise overlooked. It also helps your users find their way around
Sitemap Generators
You might be thinking, All this information is great, but how do I put it in action when I don’t have access or know how to code? There are many great online tools designed to help you create a sitemap. Here are a few:
• http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/
• http://www.sitemaps-builder.com/
• http://www.freesitemapgenerator.com/
Google Sitemaps
Google has provided a great way for website owners to communicate with the search engine. You are able to tell Google a page’s importance level and the frequency of updates. To get started: http://www.ehow.com/how_2071242_create-google-site-map.html
Jul/090
SEO – Words
Okay, before I get into this edition’s tips, I want to say this: SEO is an endless pursuit. Even if you do get your site to be the #1 ranking, it might not stay there. Please! do not focus too much time on improving your site’s rank. If you do wish to pursue SEO on a deep level and have the capital to do so, seek out a specialist (here’s one I recommend: http://www.deepripples.com/).
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As they say: context is king. In a nutshell, that says it all. A powerful method for improving your site’s rank is through the simple use of keywords, placed carefully, throughout. Here are three places, beyond your basic content, to use key words:
Page titles
This is often considered the most important part of SEO. Be sure to put the company name in here, but not just this.
For the non-html readers, this is the text which appears in the browser menu bar and is found near the beginning of your code. To learn more, see the W3 Schools page: http://www.w3schools.com/TAGS/tag_title.asp
Headings – h1, h2
Your pages, for both your user’s and search engines, need headers.
Non-html readers, if you’re using a text editor to update your site, it probably has built in functions to add headers.
URLs
User/search engine friendly URLs are very powerful. Currently your file name might be: methodstoseoyoursite.html. This is a hot mess! Instead, do this: methods_to_seo_your_site.html.
Further reading
Page titles: http://www.highrankings.com/allabouttitles
Headers: http://www.stephanspencer.com/search-engines/blog-seo-tip-7-heading-tags
URLs: http://www.avangate.com/articles/url-rewriting_70.htm
Jun/090
Defining Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the process of making your web page(s) appear higher in search engines, like Google, organically.
There are two types of searches, organic and inorganic:
“Google’s Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide.” Google. 13 NOV 2008. 29 Jun 2009 .<link>
To appear in an inorganic search, you must PAY to do so, and this is not the focus of our discussion at this time.
When you appear in an organic search, it’s natural; your ranking is due to your web page(s) content quality, and most importantly: it is FREE.
Appearing within the first 10 listings is important, as most users navigate away if they don’t find what they’re looking for. Think about: do you spend all day clicking “Next” to find out what web pages DON’T fit your needs? The first 10 are usually going to be the most relevant, being why most of us (including me) rarely go past them. So the object is to build your page(s) content to MAKE those first ten!
I’m going to walk you through a few different steps to rise in organic searches in the coming weeks. Each step will be simple and practical. Remember, these are all designed to help your listing in search engines come closer and closer to becoming the first! Following the coming steps will not magically make your listing first; it does take time. Hang in there, it’s worth it!