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Good Grammar: The Other White Hate SEO

2010 September 23
by Nate Schubert

True Optimization Considers All Words, Not Just Keywords

Well, the secret is finally out and now everyone knows how important it is to consider SEO when building or maintaining any kind of web presence. Sure, there are other important factors to Internet Marketing like Link Building, Social Media, Paid Search and others, but SEO is one of the big one’s for sure. As we all know, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization which means optimizing a website or page’s on/off page text content to rank higher in search engines for specific, targeted keywords or search terms.

That doesn’t sound so hard to me. Let’s be honest, it takes more discipline than acumen to compile a list of worthwhile keywords and then to integrate those search terms into your content, whether existing or new. Despite the fact that it may not be technically challenging to compile and execute that list of keywords and bring in traffic from search engines, many of these websites suffer massive bounce rates and very little time spent on each page. The SEOs are bringing visitors in, they just can’t keep visitors there. And they sure as hell can’t convince visitors to convert to buyers. So what gives?

While it’s mostly true that anyone with a keyboard and an internet connection can identify and optimize a web page, for them it is sadly also true that not everyone can write a complete sentence. Doesn’t that sound bad? Well, it’d sound a lot worse if I wrote as badly as 90% of the people I meet on a daily basis. But would it surprise you to know that a major factor in high bounce rate and low customer trust is the fact that your content looks like it was written by, at best, a 10 year old? Seriously, what’s the problem with writing? Why can’t people spell? Why can’t people articulate a sentence? Why do people hate comma’s so much?

I remember seeing a little tweet the other day from Lisa Barone of Outspoken Media where she talked about getting nervous for her Personal Essay Writing class. See, I think it’s great when professional writers keep learning how to write. I started writing when I was very young and even wrote screen plays in my early 20′s. Sure, I never published anything more than a poem here or there, but the very act of writing is what makes me a better writer, and my desire to become a better writer pushes me into other realms of writing that, you guessed it, make me a better writer!

I recently took an English Composition course at a local Community College and despite the fact that I am already a relatively well polished writer, I learned a ridiculous amount about grammar that I had either forgotten long ago, or never learned to begin with. I thought I was a great writer and while I still agree with that, I know that now I’m a better writer because, for example, I understand where the stupid apostrophe in a possessive. For some reason I always had problems with that, but now I’ll never forget.

Keep an eye on your writing style and always work to be a better writer. I know your audience will appreciate the fact that they’re getting insight from a source that knows how to present itself, and trust comes with that. Once you have the trust of your audience, I think you can open up a whole lot of new doors that can lead to greater conversions and stronger relationships.

Google Instant Isn’t The SEO Killer

2010 September 8
by Nate Schubert

Google Instant Isn't THAT Bad

With every Google announcement it seems as though the entire Search Marketing world freaks out. It’s the end of the world! SEO will never be the same! Google is trying to kill our business! Well, I’ll be the first to say Google isn’t taking any food out of my kid’s mouths after rolling out Google Instant, a new feature that claims to predict your search term before you even finish typing. Well, here are some important things for SEOs to keep in mind.

  • Google Instant is available only if you are logged in to your Google account. If you are not logged in or do not have a Google account, then Google Instant doesn’t exist for you.
  • Google Instant is really nothing more than an add-on to the already-in-use Google Suggest feature which aims to finish your search term, but with the added feature of a dynamically updated SERP below.
  • This is a casual observation, but most people can’t type without looking at the keyboard anyway which means they won’t be paying attention to the ever-changing SERPs below anyway.

I don’t see any reason to get worked up over Google Instant. Through the testing I’ve done thus far, most of the predictions aren’t relevant to my search which means I end up completing the term anyway. That means there’s no difference for me at all. That said, I can envision a world where web surfers are made more aware of a better-defined search term through the already-present Google Suggest feature, but the real-time SERP isn’t something that is going to impact SEO negatively in any way.

Everyone can breathe again!

Logos With Hidden Meanings

2010 August 15
by Nate Schubert

During my Sunday morning Stumble, I came across this excellent piece that showcases a variety of different logos from companies all over the world. The idea of hidden meanings (a message in a message) is something I’ve always enjoyed. It may definitely help to satisfy or comfort consumers subliminally, or that kind of thought may be lost completely. In either event, they’re a lot of fun to look at! Check out 23 Brilliant Logos With Hidden Messages. Which one is your favorite and why?

What Makes a Successful Website?

2010 August 13
by Nate Schubert

The Internet is understandably bogged down with a wide variety of failed ventures.  While web hosts and domain registrars have made the process of website creation extremely simple over the years, little has been done to teach webmasters how to transform their domains into places that web surfers want to visit.  For any website, the prospect of creating a successful presence depends not only on an attractive product or theme, but also on a solid internet marketing strategy.  No matter the niche, a successful website will be intellectually satisfying, visually appealing, highly usable, and easy to find.

An intellectually stimulating website contains high-quality original content that is relevant to the subject matter at hand and presented to appeal to a specific targeted slice of the web.  If a website purports to be about fitness and health, its’ visitors will have little interest in reading about the latest-and-greatest in smart phone technology.  As difficult as the gap may seem to bridge, visitors are more likely to find these scenario’s more often than websites that have well written, relevant content.

An attractive color scheme can set the mood for a web surfer and may be the difference between a quick stop-and-bounce or an extended stay.  A fan page dedicated to the Green Bay Packers would do well to execute a green and gold color scheme as opposed to the wretched Vikings purple because its’ visitors will most likely be Packers fans.  Webmasters who succeed in setting the mood for their visitors will do so because they think logically about important factors like content and color, and pay attention to what their visitors are looking for.

Quality content and colors that complement content are important, but these components of a successful website are worthless if visitors cannot use your website.  The greatest products in the world will never make a dime if visitors cannot adequately navigate the menu to purchase them. Images and text should always be presented in a way to funnel visitors into taking a certain action such as purchasing a product, subscribing to a newsletter or making a comment.  All too often, however, users have difficulty locating the proper places to act.  The Internet is a fickle place and if the average user cannot figure out how or where to take action, they will leave to find a website with greater usability.

Perhaps the most crucial component of a successful website is its’ marketing strategy.  The most intellectually stimulating, color-appropriate and easy-to-use website on the Internet will go the way of the Dodo bird if nobody can find it, and Internet Marketing exists for the sole purpose of making sure a website can be found.  Although it is possible for a single well-disciplined webmaster to make an impact with an efficient marketing plan, entire departments are created for the sole purpose of executing Internet marketing strategies.  Search Engine Optimization experts tweak content for perfect keyword density, seeking to rank well in search engines like Google or Bing.  Link Builders work tirelessly to acquire quality inbound links from authority websites which act as votes of content-confidence.  Paid Search specialists create high-powered pay-per-click campaigns that entice web surfers to click on sponsored links that lead to perfectly manicured landing pages.  Social Media guru’s create buzz for products, services or content via hubs like YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter an much more in this growing sector of the web.  If executed properly, a sound strategy that makes the most out of these four aspects of Internet marketing will surely be given an opportunity to shine on the first search engine results pages on leading search engines like Google and Bing.

Anyone who seeks to create a successful website that is well-traveled and provides quality information, products or services will quickly find that the prospect entails far more than purchasing a domain and publishing a hastily written chunk of content.  Listening to the attitudes, desires and emotions of the visitors a webmaster targets is a sure-fire way to create a website that will stand the test of time online.