About a week ago, I met with a prospective new client in downtown Greenville to discuss the possibility of working together on an internet marketing project. This was a little bit different from my typical business meeting, however, because this person was a small business owner who has also made significant money building affiliate websites in the past. So I was really looking forward to speaking someone who really understands the search engines and the many different forms of online marketing.
And our meeting started off fantastic. Within 2 or 3 minutes, we were speaking to each other like we were old friends and the conversation had already drifted well beyond the intended subject. We talked about NBA basketball and the dumb things out kids have done lately, and I honestly could have hung out with this personal all afternoon. He was a genuinely likable guy with a great mind for business.
Shortcuts Never Pay Off in the Long Run
Once we started showing off our profiles though and the many sites we’ve developed over the years; one thing became quickly apparent- this person used almost every black hat tactic in the book to drive traffic. Here are just a few of the things he named-
- Using robots to post tens of thousands of comments per day for backlinks
- Using spun content to guest post on thousands of low-class sites
- Repeatedly spamming keywords to achieve undeserved rank
- Buying backlinks in mass quantity from un-reputable sites
The list literally went on and on, and this person couldn’t understand why he was making $150,000 a year from internet marketing in 2010, but barely clearing $5,000 a year today. Anyone who knows anything about the search engines can answer that question though; those types of shortcuts end up hurting a lot more than they help in 2015.
Google Has One Heck of a Memory
When we pulled up this client’s Google Analytics account to look at some of his potential issues, he literally had a half million spam backlinks pointing to his sites and at least 10,000 pages of spun copy. And right there I knew, there was absolutely no way I wanted to be involved in his clean-up attempts. Honestly, he would be better off starting over on a brand new domain without any reputation whatsoever.
That’s definitely not the answer this client wanted to hear though, and his reaction was very common for someone hearing that kind of news. Because he didn’t think about the hundreds of hours where he used cheap tactics to cheat Google and obtain an artificial rank; his thoughts were on the tens of thousands of legitimate hours invested doing things the right way. All that effort was literally wasted though since he scammed the system…and it is extremely difficult to un-cheat when you do it on massive levels.
Repairing Former Lapses in Judgement
Here is the takeaway from this though- if you’ve crossed the line a few too many times when it comes to getting your website to rank, this is not something that will work itself out over time. While you can just keep on going about your merry way posting new content and doing things the right way, those “Ghosts of Google Past” are going to continue to slow your progress until you take the proper steps to clean them up.
So here’s what you need to do-
1) Head over to your Google Webmaster Tools account, click on “Search Traffic” and then look at “Links to Your Site”.
2) If you see that there are lots of links from spammy sources, you need to Disavow the bad backlinks or have a professional do it for you. If you don’t know for sure what you’re doing though, then contact someone for help.
3) When it comes to writing that you posted in unsavory directories and content mill types of sites, you’ll have to manually delete this content instead of reporting it to Google. The Disavow tool is only for reporting 3rd party links you had no hand in creating, but if your name is on it as the author…oops. You have to fix these issues yourself.
4) If there are pages on your website that a human wouldn’t get excited over reading, you have one of two options- delete them or replace them with fresh content. The search engines would prefer that you do the latter since it keeps your page hierarchy in place, but that may not be an option if you have hundreds of lousy pages.
5) Let’s also talk about anchor links for a moment, which are the words that any given hyperlink is tied to. Google has announced that natural links should contain a large variety of anchors on your website and around the web, so you need to clean these up on your site as well.
6) While you’re in Webmaster Tools, also take a look at your search appearance and index status. If there are errors, then either fix them or contact a professional that can walk you through the process. These are usually broken links or moved pages, but it could be responsive errors as well.
7) Finally, be sure to keep an eye on any additional errors in your Webmaster Tools account since this signals other reasons why you may be receiving search penalties.
So needless to say, I did not end up signing a new client the other week and I think the talk of our kids going to band camp together is off the table as well. That’s okay though, because at least that small business owner walked away with the right knowledge in place so he wouldn’t keep throwing more money into a site that’s been dead and buried for years.
Do you have any of your own Google penalty stories to share? Could have I done something differently to save this potential client relationship? Feel free to keep the conversation going and let me know!
If I had to pick one question that business owners ask me about the most, it would easily be, “What kind of content should I have on my website to get more visitors?” And I will quickly tell them that they’re asking the wrong question- because traffic is only half the formula of a successful website. The real goal is to convince those visitors to become real-life customers that support your brand.
Now, there’s one great thing about having lots of relevant content on your website; it attracts people and the search engine spiders exactly the same way. So the more you share with the world about your business, the faster your website will rank naturally. That means an increase in traffic AND since you have lots of great content, those potential customers are more likely to reach out to you as well. So it’s really a two for one benefit.
Excellent Core Content
To gain new visitors more frequently, strengthening the core content of your website is absolutely vital. Because think about it; you have no idea why someone happens to visit your website. Most companies offer dozens of products and services, so the inbound traffic could have an interest in any of them…but only if you provide solid initial answers to their questions first.
If you fail to do that, however, then the consumer is going to be off to the next business in the search results without thinking twice about you. That’s why you need to have AT LEAST-
- One core web page for each of your main categories
- One core sub-page for each of your products/services
- One page answering the most common questions within your industry
- An About Us page that tells the company’s history
- A contact us page with all your location information
- A testimonial page to show what happy customers have to say
- A “specials” page with your current discounts and specials
- A warranty page if that’s applicable to your business
Once you start doing the math, that’s easily 30-60 core pages that your website absolutely has to have in order to capture attention. And each of these pages needs visual elements (photos, charts, infographics, etc.) and solid formatting (sub-headings, bullet points, backlinks, etc.) as well. Your main pages should also offer video tutorials to assist your customers if you really want to make them pop.
An Informative Blog
Likewise, blogging
is an awesome way to keep your visitors engaged, educate them about your industry and talk about things that are happening around town. There’s an equally important reason to have a daily-weekly blog as well though; the search engines absolutely love to see new content getting indexed. In fact, the more new information you post, the closer the search engines keep an eye on you…which helps you gain additional visibility at a lightning-fast pace.
In fact, if you do a quick search for a list of the current Fortune 500 companies and then start checking their sites for blogs, you may be surprised to find out that every single one of them use blogging to engage their customers on a daily basis. Some of them even have 3-5 blogs for different client-types, plus their marketing team writes for online publications like Forbes and the Wall Street Journal for even more exposure.
So even though you probably don’t want to bother with blogging, know that it’s the fastest way to put your brand on the www map. Not even paid advertising can consistently deliver the results that simple tips and other types of articles can provide.
Smart Social Optimization
Since almost every single one of your customers now carries a smartphone in their pockets, optimizing your local presence is no longer optional. Because here’s what happens-
A consumer does a Google search for “patio furniture” and they start browsing through the local search results to compare features and prices. That brings them to your Google+ or Bing Local page where they’ll see your logo and contact information, the link to your website, customer reviews and any blog posts that you’ve shared through that channel. This is assuming, of course, that you spent the same amount of time optimizing your social pages as you did your website. Most businesses don’t.
The sweet thing about sites like Google+ is that you can optimize them with photos and videos of your products, and then embed links straight to your website. So it definitely pays to spend an extra few hours per month keeping your profiles in tip-top shape, and this needs to happen on EVERY social channel that your business is registered on.
Great Video Tutorials
One final type of web content to consider is producing short video segments to give consumers a completely different type of visual experience on your website. You can add videos to all of your main category pages to give a quick overview of your products and services, plus create a video testimonial series with locals who really appreciate your business. And since people can’t help but click on video links when they see them, this will quickly become one of the most popular features on your website.
Additionally, smart videos can also be shared on your social media pages for even greater exposure, plus they get indexed by the search engines within their own category as well. So if someone searches for “How to file for bankruptcy” in the video search results and your local law firm has a short video on it, Google is going to prioritize your video above the national brands. Since this also boosts your website’s results and your local search presence, it’s a win/win/win strategy for almost any type of business.
From the Better Business Bureau to almost every Spartanburg website developer around, people claim to be legitimate SEO professionals that can drastically improve your site’s overall rankings.
As they say in boxing, however, “Talk is cheap”, and any search optimization specialist worth his salt should have a steady stream of results to prove their self-worth…starting with their own website. After all, if they can’t get their own business to rank in Google’s top slot for a term like “upstate search optimization,” then they definitely won’t be much use to you either.
As we’ve pointed out in on other pages, search engine optimization is an extensive subject that a lot of businesses misrepresent…and that’s putting it politely. So before you hire an expert, there are five all-important questions that you have to ask.
1) Show Me 25 Keyphrases you Have Ranked on the First Page of Major Search Engines.
This one question alone will separate the pretenders from the SEO professionals that actually have some skills, because there are fewer and fewer ways to bluff Google nowadays. So just flat out ask for proven results on domains that are owned by the Upstate web developer or another local business, because getting their Facebook or any 3rd party website profile ranking high doesn’t count. For non-competitive key phrases, people literally do that by accident all of the time.
2) Tell me exactly how you will get my website to rank well on Google.
The response you get to this question is equally important because you want to make sure that the SEO professional is using strictly “White Hat” tactics. The only legitimate answer to this question is –
- Great page optimization (meta data, titles, etc.)
- A thorough keyword analysis
- Site-wide content optimization
- Building quality backlinks
- Posting blogs and fresh content
- Guest posting on other sites
- Lots of new, legitimate traffic
Also, avoid any SEO professional that mentions automation software, buying backlinks, posting comments on forums or other methods that sound shady. Getting a site to rank well is hard work and there are not any shortcuts that will provide long-term results.
3) What was the last Google Panda/Penguin update about?
The search engines constantly change their algorhythms to better spot sites that are breaking the rules, so every Upstate SEO expert should be able to tell you about all the changes that have taken place over the past few years. If they can’t, then they are not keeping up with the latest trends and there is absolutely no way that they will be able to help you.
4) What software do you use to track SEO campaigns?
This one is sort of a trick question because there are at least a half-dozen acceptable answers. A real search optimization professional will almost always start by saying, “Google Analytics” though and then add in a software suite like Moz, SEO Powersuite or Web CEO. Even though you probably won’t know what these programs are, be sure to ask what each of them does and how it helps the SEO professional make sound decisions. If they struggle to answer, then they’re not the one for you.
5) Show me a few writing samples so I can know what to expect.
If you take away one thing from this SEO tutorial, then understand that well-written content is Google’s primary concern. Because at the end of the day, that’s what will make your customers return to your site, visit additional pages and eventually visit you in the real world. So even if the Upstate SEO specialist aces every other question on this list, he can’t do a thing for you if he’s not a great writer that understands how to connect to your consumers.
At Upstate Synergy, our staff has over 25 combined years of writing search optimized copy for local Spartanburg, SC websites. We also have the long-term results to prove our expertise as well, and we will be happy to educate you and your staff about anything SEO-related. So if you have any questions, then feel free to call or email us, because we definitely have the answers.
In the world of web optimization, there has been only one rule that every Upstate copywriter and SEO professional has abided by- “Content is King.” Experts have consistently shown that no truer phrase has ever been spoken, yet almost every single Spartanburg web developer completely ignores this advice on a daily basis. That’s because their only real goal is to sell you a website, and there’s nothing else for them to gain once you make that purchase.
At the same time, however, ignoring the rules set forth by the search directories like Google and Bing is no longer an option in 2014. For any business to have a solid web presence, things like keyword research, great content and proper page layouts can make all the difference in the world. In fact, this very website is only about two weeks old…yet we already outrank 3/4ths of the Upstate web developers who have been in business for decades. It’s definitely not a coincidence and we’d love to teach you to have similar results.
How can you rank better on the search engines? We’re glad you asked! Here are a few tips to get you started-
Hire an Upstate Copywriter that Knows SEO
Honestly, any great wordsmith will help your site’s overall popularity in the search engines, but it is always better to have someone on your side that understands things like keyword density, optimizing images and knowing how to get the most out of a webpage. The phrase “Content is King” not only refers to the quality of your website’s writing though; it also points to the frequency that you post new articles, tutorials and regular page content for your visitors to read.
For example, if you saw the exact same content every time you visited the Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce website, there would be zero reason for you to ever return. The same goes for any business that doesn’t have an eCommerce site with daily sales in cyberspace; both Google and your consumers want to see frequent changes to show that it’s a vibrant, growing business. That’s the same reason we change window displays in storefronts or print a variety of flyers and coupons- it helps attract attention.
So how often should you update your site with new content? Well, that entirely depends on how much your business is using their online presence here in the Upstate to generate new customers. If there’s a steady flow of traffic, or you hope to one day achieve that, then several posts per week is the bare minimum.
Create Content that Delivers Knowledge
One of our favorite tactics at Upstate Synergy is to tell local businesses to completely forget about “marketing their products” on the Internet. At first, they are completely taken aback by the concept- why on Earth would they spend time on a website and not talk about selling something? Then they realize, however, that the whole point of an online presence is to communicate with potential customers.
People search for things online because they want information, and they use that information to make smart purchase decisions. If someone is looking for an engagement ring, for example, they are probably seeking info about diamond clarity, carat weight or what types of settings/metals are popular right now. Since they can bounce in and out of about twenty different sites in a matter of minutes, they will likely keep looking until they get the answers that they are looking for.
Here’s the beautiful thing about consumers though- if you provide them with the exact information that they are looking for AND they’re ready to make a purchase, there is a 92% chance that they make the purchase from you. Even when they don’t plan on buying for several days or weeks, however, they are very likely to bookmark your site and return to that information when they’re ready. So by considering their actual needs over forcing a sale, your chance of success increases exponentially.
Writing Winning Emails & Sales Copy
Likewise, online marketing has its own sets of rules about what works and what doesn’t. While the average Upstate copywriter may be able to increase your conversion rates by 5-15%, one with a digital marketing background can often double to triple those results. That’s because we balance out the copy on the page with your customer’s daily lifestyle, and we make the messaging geared to be digested in the digital age.
Now, that’s not to say that email marketing has to be used to sell, just like we explained in the previous section. If nothing else, you should be sending out email blasts to inform your customers whenever new content is posted, when you’re launching a new social media campaign and whenever you’re having an event/sale. Because the Web Synergy that we keep talking about involves tying all of these concepts together in a seamless marketing system that both sells and creates brand loyalty.
For more information on Upstate search optimization or writing winning copy, feel free to contact us and put our employees to the test. Part of our free consultation process is always performing an on-site interview to learn about your needs and to teach you about web optimization, so please don’t hesitate to reach out and take advantage of us.
Far too often, Upstate business owners place far too much emphasis on website design instead of what the site actually does for them. Because just like every other aspect of your company, a website is a powerful tool that can either drive in new business or drive it away. Don’t get us wrong, a good looking website is very important to impress new customers, but ultimately they care far more about its functionality and the available information. Here are a few more tips to keep in mind-
Fast Loading Times
Three seconds. That’s how long you have to grab the average consumer’s attention from the very instant that they click on your link. If your website is hosted on a slow server that takes a few seconds to load, then you’d better have the Holy Grail of homepages to convince them to stay. Google, the king of all search engines, recognizes this trend as well and they reward websites that load quickly. Optimizing a website for all of today’s digital devices is a win/win scenario.
Complete Search Optimization
If you think SEO stands for “Southeastern Oregon” or anything other than “Search Engine Optimization”, then your website is probably in trouble. From proper page formatting to building backlinks to adhering to the dozens of other requests made by Google and Bing, this is the only way for new customers to find you online without paid results. For now, we’ll spare you the technical details, but know that these are steps that have to be taken if you have a realistic expectation of a good return on your investment.
Lots of Fresh Content
Since recent studies have shown that upwards of 82% of all Americans price-check from their smartphones before visiting a retail store, having a search optimized website is absolutely crucial for your success. While we won’t go too much into technical detail, every successful website has to have a steady stream of content talking about their business to achieve proper search results. In fact, even sponsored campaigns are now taking your site’s optimization levels into consideration, so there is simply no substitute for frequent updates.
Other Reasons to Get Involved
Then again, a successful website has a lot more than just words on a page- it gives consumers a reason to stick around and/or visit more often. That’s why so many sites these days have social media contests, news clips, games and hundreds of other unique features…they want you to stick around. Not only does it help their site optimization efforts, but it also creates a company sub-culture that your customers become a part of.
While nobody in the web community looks forward to Google updating their search engine algorithms, it is certainly a necessary evil on today’s web with millions of spammy sites still finding ways to hold on to their undeserved rankings. The latest update by Google, unofficially nicknamed “Pigeon”, sought to bring additional justice to cyberspace by updating the way local websites rank, plus returning to some of their prior core practices in site optimization.
How will this affect our Upstate businesses though? The major changes are listed below-
A Focus on Local Searches
We’ve all known for some time now that Google is trying to localize the entire world, and the Pigeon update is making it much harder to sneak into its local rankings just off reviews and site traffic. The new algorithm focuses more on traditional ranking models such as page authority, keyword usage, and relevant backlinks. In layman terms, this means that it will be much harder for a poorly optimized website to rank well in local searches.
Google’s Rule of 3 & 7
Google has also announced that a large majority of their local results will be slimmed down to just three listings instead of the traditional seven. While some businesses haven’t seen any change as of yet (restaurants, gas stations, etc.), less competitive markets are already up in arms about the new three-listing format. If your company didn’t make the cut, don’t panic just yet, because this part of the algorithm is still a work in progress.
Less Focus on Review Sites
Additionally, Google has decided that review sites like Yelp and Angie’s List were given a little too much authority how the local searches were classified. While they are still taken into consideration, the overall goal here was to bring them more in line with more natural indicators- like a website’s natural traffic or the time spent on-site. We are still advising our clients to keep a close eye on their reputation across cyberspace, however, because reviews impact a lot more than just search engines.
Social Media Boosts
Another factor of the latest Google update is the impact that social media has on both local and regular search results; the web giant has clearly stressed that these accounts are crucial for natural growth. In fact, Google + now gives do follow-links to encourage completing as many social media profiles as possible, which is a tactic that we’ve always stressed to our customers anyway. Still, if you’ve been holding off creating business accounts on Pinterest, Foursquare or other secondary sites, now is the time to do it.
Overall Thoughts
Compared to some of the more recent Google updates in 2012 and 2013, there was very little to surprise the SEO community this time around. The message to be learned here for Upstate businesses is that your local results are as important as ever, and this trend will only continue to grow moving into 2015 and beyond. So if you haven’t paid enough attention to your local listings in recent years, contact us as soon as possible so we can optimize your local presence.
About a week ago, I met with a prospective new client in downtown Greenville to discuss the possibility of working together on an internet marketing project. This was a little bit different from my typical business meeting, however, because this person was a small business owner who has also made significant money building affiliate websites in the past. So I was really looking forward to speaking someone who really understands the search engines and the many different forms of online marketing.
Once we started showing off our profiles though and the many sites we’ve developed over the years; one thing became quickly apparent- this person used almost every black hat tactic in the book to drive traffic. Here are just a few of the things he named-
When we pulled up this client’s Google Analytics account to look at some of his potential issues, he literally had a half million spam backlinks pointing to his sites and at least 10,000 pages of spun copy. And right there I knew, there was absolutely no way I wanted to be involved in his clean-up attempts. Honestly, he would be better off starting over on a brand new domain without any reputation whatsoever.
Here is the takeaway from this though- if you’ve crossed the line a few too many times when it comes to getting your website to rank, this is not something that will work itself out over time. While you can just keep on going about your merry way posting new content and doing things the right way, those “Ghosts of Google Past” are going to continue to slow your progress until you take the proper steps to clean them up.
