Tag Archive for seo

21 May 2012
internet marketing • seo

Unlock Your Internet Marketing


Here at Eckweb we work with very small businesses, for the most part.  We have a few larger clients but that’s only because they started out with us as very small businesses and have grown.  (We’re so proud of that!)

Anyway, the one conversation we have with everyone circles around getting traffic to the website.  How do we do it?  What is needed?  How much will it cost?  All valid questions from business owners.  Our answers are always the same.  We answer with…

1) “Find out what your target audience wants, and then give it to them.”

2) “Make yourself an expert in your field.”

3) “Constantly put new information out there – whether it’s your website, your blog, your social media accounts, whatever – just be active.”

There’s Really No Internet Marketing Secret

The bottom line is, and the absolute truth is, there is no one trick or magical program that will bring your website a ton of traffic.  In fact, your traffic comes mostly from small numbers, not big ones.  Here’s what I mean…

I reviewed 5 websites, all different types of business and across the country and the numbers just may surprise you.

Site 1 – Total number of keywords that brought in 5 or less visitors = 687
Total number of keywords that brought in 6 or more visitors = 26

Site 2 – Total number of keywords that brought in 5 or less visitors = 329
Total number of keywords that brought in 6 or more visitors = 17

Site 3 – Total number of keywords that brought in 5 or less visitors = 455
Total number of keywords that brought in 6 or more visitors = 21

Site 4 – Total number of keywords that brought in 5 or less visitors = 209
Total number of keywords that brought in 6 or more visitors = 9

Site 5 – Total number of keywords that brought in 5 or less visitors = 379
Total number of keywords that brought in 6 or more visitors = 13

What Does This Tell You?

Basically, the majority of people that come to website are coming in with very specific keyword phrases.  This is absolutely normal, common.  More people will ALWAYS come to a website using their own specific niche phrases.  For you, the business owner, this means that you MUST have that information on your website in order to get the search engines to even bring up your website when the viewer types in their phrase.

So, don’t focus so much on getting traffic for a main keyword phrase – instead – focus on the niche phrases.  You’ll get more targeted traffic that way.

 

 


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21 May 2012
internet marketing • ppc marketing • seo • small business

Which Is Better, SEO or PPC?


A very common question asked by small business owners, “Which is better, SEO or PPC?”.

The answer can be a little complicated but it doesn’t have to be. Let’s see if I can help you make the best decision for your business.

First, let’s make sure we’re both on the same page as far as understanding the difference between SEO and PPC.

1) SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – is the process of working on the website content and coding in order to help it come up in the search engines for specific searches.  These results are on the left hand side of your Google search.

2) PPC (Pay Per Click) – is the process of bidding on keyword phrases and creating advertisements for these keyword phrases (which point to your website of course).  These results are on the right hand side of your Google search.  Sometimes you’ll also see PPC ads at the very top of the left hand side as well.

Now, what can each of these give your small business?  Knowing their differences will help you make the decision as to which one is better for your bottom line.  We’ll go through these with some FAQ.

1) How Long Before I See Results?

SEO will always take longer than PPC.  You can create a PPC advertisement and within 15-20 minutes, that ad will be showing up (depending on your settings of course).  But we can work on the SEO for a website and we may not see the results of that work for several weeks or months.  It depends on the amount of competition for the keyword phrase that is being marketed.

2) What Can I Expect To Spend?

SEO marketing is usually fixed to a certain extent.  Eckweb’s monthly marketing is $210.00 per month and that includes adding 1 new page to the website (clients provide the content and graphics).  So, it’s much easier to budget what will be spent with SEO marketing.

PPC marketing is fluid.  You may begin your marketing campaign bidding $2.00 per click on a specific keyword phrase but your competitors will begin upping that bid to gain ground so by the end of 2-3 months you may end up paying $5.00 per click.  That’s just the nature of PPC marketing.  The only way to avoid this is to keep changing keyword phrases (to go after keyword phrases that can bring you traffic for only $2.00 per click).

3) How Much Time Will I Be Spending On This Campaign?

SEO marketing inherently involves adding content to your website, on hopefully, a regular basis.  Daily, weekly, monthly, whatever – it’s up to the business owner.  Of course, the writing can be outsourced to someone else in the company or to a professional SEO Copywriter.  So, the amount of time spent on this aspect will depend on how the business owner wants to manage it.

Most business owners do not participate in the actual coding and website development process – so this is not an issue as far as time spent.

PPC marketing, if managed by an Internet Marketing firm will take very little time away from the business owner.  Once the parameters are set up in the PPC account – it’s just a matter of making the decision to spend more dollars or change keyword phrases every now and then.  Of course, if the business owner is managing his/her own PPC campaign then the amount of time spent can vary greatly, depending on how much knowledge he/she has and how much time is needed on the research.

Both marketing programs will require time to be spent reviewing the analysis of the campaigns.  It’s extremely important to keep checking if the campaigns are working or not.  And to make changes to the aspects of the campaigns that are not working.

The Bottom Line, Which Is Better, SEO or PPC?

The conclusion is that IF you have a limited budget, you will want to go with SEO marketing.  IF you absolutely need traffic to the website immediately, then you will want to go with PPC marketing but be prepared to pay.

I do hope this information was helpful.  If not, or if you have other questions about Internet Marketing, contact me at Eckweb.  I’m here to help.


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23 Apr 2012
internet marketing • seo

Are You Really Getting SEO Services?


For most website owners, the understanding they have of SEO (search engine optimization) is limited.  They know that their websites need it, they know that it can bring in business, but do they REALLY know what’s going on at the SEO company?

It reminds me of my own experiences when I bring my car to the mechanic.  I mean, he TELLS me what is wrong and what he needs to do but he might as well be speaking Klingon, I don’t really understand and frankly, I just want the car fixed.  I have to trust him (and we all know that doesn’t always work out well!).

Anyway, I just read a great article explaining what the process of SEO looks like and I thought I would break it down for you.

First off, the article is written by Krista LaRiviere who is cofounder of a successful SEO software company – so her expertise is valid.  So, let’s get to the article.

1) Krista outlines the model of SEO like the old food pyramid we’re so familiar with.

She then assigns a percentage of the importance of each level.  They are…
(from bottom to top)

Technical Page Optimization
This accounts for 10% of the SEO model.  I can’t tell you how many times I argue with clients (well, I suppose I should call them discussions) about making changes to their website in order to comply with this rule.  Sometimes graphics are too large, sometimes there’s just too many graphics or flash or other animated features.  Sometimes there just isn’t enough text.  Believe me, I understand that it’s important to have an aesthetically pleasing website, but the reality is, the most beautiful looking websites in the world don’t necessarily bring in traffic.  Business websites are meant to bring in traffic, otherwise, what’s the point?

Keyword and Competition Research
This accounts for 25% of the SEO model.  Where it’s true that the website pages themselves have to be constructed with clean, up to date coding, it’s even more important that the words being used on the website pages are the right ones.  Does this happen right away?  I mean, when  website is first optimized are all the keywords chosen correct?  Are they the best?  I’m going to be honest with you – NO!  Why?  Because website traffic is dependent on a large variety of factors.  A keyword phrase may do well from January to April but perhaps it doesn’t do too well during the Autumn, perhaps there are other factors coming into play in the industry.  It’s difficult to tell.  Research is based on what has happened, so we can only go with that information.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that keyword research is constant.

External Marketing TO The Website
This accounts for 55% of the SEO Model.  Basically, this means creating articles to put on OTHER places like blogs, press releases, article directories, etc.  Of course, embeded within these articles would be links TO your website.

Some of the best types of articles to write are How To articles, Reviews and Case Studies.  The reason is that these types of articles showcase your expertise in your field.

Publish – Socialize – Share
This accounts for 5% of the SEO model.

Websites these days MUST be interactive.  The days of going to a website and just reading it are long, long gone.  Visitors expect to be able to link to you via Twitter, Google+, Facebook, whatever!  They expect to see you in those places and they expect others to be talking about you.

Make your website shareable.  Put the kind of information on your website that others will want to share.

Measure and Improve
This accounts for 5% of the SEO model.

No website EVER is launched being 100% complete, in fact, no website is EVER 100% complete.  If anyone tells you that it is, they’re just tired and don’t want to talk to you anymore.  The truth is, websites are in constant motion.  They’re constantly requiring work.  The reasons are easy to understand…

a) technology changes rapidly (so that means coding and search engine algorithms change)

b) needs of your audience changes – whether it’s due to seasonal changes or other factors, what your target audience needed in January is not necessarily the same as in August of the same year.  Keep up with what they need and you will always have enough traffic to your site.

c) factors in your own industry change – lawyers need to keep up with new laws, plumbers need to keep up with new tools and technology, doctors need to explain the new medications and treatments available.  Let’s face it, there’s always something new happening in your industry and you need to show that your audience that you’re on top of it.

Well, I hope the article and my synopsis helps you to understand the basics of the SEO process and hopefully I haven’t lost you (like those mechanics do with me!).  But, if you have any questions, you know where to find me.

 


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04 Apr 2012
small business

Introducing Mens Rights Attorney Law Firm


We are so very proud to be part of the marketing team for Mens Rights Law Firm in southwest Florida.  The Mens Rights Law Firm, is a small firm whose practice is limited to Family Law and focus is on Men’s Rights.  As attorneys for Men’s Rights in Florida, the firm aggressively represents the interests of husbands and fathers involved in divorce and other family law matters.

They’ve got a wonderful relationship with their community, giving whenever they can to charities such as…

Ann’s Restoration House

Lee Memorial Blood Drive

Voices For Kids Golf Charity

Lee County American Cancer Society

We’ve been helping Sam Assini and his team for many years and so proud to be a part of helping him to grow his business!

 


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30 Mar 2012
seo • small business • social media

Social Authority and Website Traffic


You knew it was just a matter of time before the search engines truly used Social Authority as part of their algorithm to rank websites.  So, the days of ignoring social media are in the past.  If you haven’t yet integrated Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ into your website marketing – you can’t wait any longer.

I just finished reading this great article – 3 Steps to Using Social Media to Improve Your SEO in Search Engine Journal.  It’s a quick and easy read so I encourage you to do it.  But basically, it emphasizes the need to get out there and make some noise (in social media that is).

The 3 main steps the article outlines are…

1)  Increase Your Social Shares

This just means to increase your posts, tweets, etc.  In other words, get out there and start talking.  (Typing and texting actually).  But the point is to engage in social media.  Spring time is here, do you have specials to announce?  Are there new employees or clients that you can boast about?  Is there something new happening in your industry that may be of interest to your clients?  Are you pondering a question that your clients may be interested in (and maybe help?).  Anything that is related and may be of interest to your customers, is worth talking about.  And if you can talk about it to someone in front of you, there’s no reason why you can’t talk about it on a social media platform.

2) Grow Your Audience To Build Authority

A great quote from the article, “In this digital age, it’s important to remember that everything you say and do contributes to the overall perception people have about you.”  What you say online gives your readers a visual picture of who you are and what you stand for.  It’s part of your branding.

I borrowed this graphic from the article but it explains how it’s all connected.

Social Media and SEOPortraying the image that want others to see (and hopefully it’s your true image) – you’ll attract others of authority who will want to listen to what you have to say.  You’ll build a following.  That’s the point.

3) Engage With Authority Users

I know, this is the clincher, the factoid that usually closes the deal.  You actually have to USE social media.  What I mean is you can’t just open a Twitter account, write one tweet and then walk away.  Just like websites, social media is meant to be used and changed on a constant basis.  When someone walks into your store, or you go to a networking group to meet others, do you say the same exact speech?  Do you wear the same exact clothes?  No.  You’re not a robot.  You’re human (hopefully) and your social media accounts should reflect that.  So, that means ENGAGE!  Talk with your readers.  Listen to their comments and respond.  As much as you can.

I remember years ago when I was doing the whole business networking thing between chambers of commerce and business groups, the one thing they all kept repeating was that what we did today will come back to us eventually.  In other words, all the marketing and efforts we put out today may not yield in a new client or new business today but it will eventually.  And they were all correct.  It’s been 6 years or more since I’ve attended any of those types of groups and I’m still getting referrals and business from folks I met back then.

The same is true for social media.  Just because you post a note on your Facebook Wall today, doesn’t mean your business is going to grow instantly by next month!  So, be patient, be persistent and be social!!


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19 Feb 2012
internet marketing • small business

Local Business + Internet Marketing


Way, way, way back in 2000 when I began Eckweb and my escapades into this crazy industry of Internet Marketing I met with small business owners (mostly) and attempted to sell them the benefits of Internet marketing.  That was an uphill battle, still is in some ways but back then, there just wasn’t much empirical evidence that I could give.  I only had my gut and my opinions and that wasn’t much.

But how, how things have changed.  I was reading an article from Bruce Clay and in that article is this wonderful sentence.  “According to Google, 20% of all computer based searches are identified to have local intent and on mobile phones the percentage of local searches skyrockets to as much as 90% of all searches!”

So, local business simply cannot ignore the Internet, especially mobile Internet.  I still can’t believe how many local businesses still don’t have an Internet presence.  Really?

Call your Internet marketer, your webmaster and if you don’t have either one of these, get one!  It’s time.


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15 Feb 2012
article writing • internet marketing • seo • small business

Simple Effective Internet Marketing Strategy


Okay, I know, it’s been a LONG time since I’ve written.  What can I say?  Life gets in the way of work sometimes.

So, to make up for my long absence I’m going to share with you a valuable tool (method really) on how to market your website.  It’s a bit anal, so please bear with me.

Step One: Choose Your Keyword

You’ve all heard me say it a billion times, it’s all about the keywords.  Internet marketing is, after all, keyword driven.  People type in keywords and the search engine machines do their best to choose the right websites to show the people.  So, the game then is to pick the keyword phrase(s) that people are typing in.

That being said, there are many tools out there that claim to do this an frankly, in my 12 years of doing SEO I haven’t really found any tool that does what it says it does.  So, take all these tools with a grain of salt.

AND, with THAT being said, I will say that the tool that I tend to use the most is Google Keywords Tool.  It’s not exactly the keyword phrases that people are typing in, but believe it or not, it’s closer than the other tools out there.  Be sure to sign in with your Google Account – you’ll get more data this way.

Here’s How To Use The Google Keywords Tool

a) Once you’ve signed in, type in a keyword phrase that you would like to be found for.

b) Open an excel sheet and begin typing in the keyword phrases that you find on the Google Keywords Tool that match your needs.  Type them in a column.

c) In the column next to the keyword type in the number of global monthly searches.

d) Once you’ve completed your list go to Google and type in each keyword phrase from your list and use quotes (i.e., “keyword phrase”).

e) In another column type in the number of search results.

f) Once you’re done with that list, you want to separate them in the following way…

*** All keyword phrases with 1 million or more search results in one group

*** All keyword phrases with 100,000 to 999,999 search results in one group

*** All keyword phrases with under 100,000 search results in one group

Choosing The Best Phrases

Now comes the hard part, you’ve got your list of keyword phrases and basically the amount of requests and the amount of competition for each phrase.

Obviously you want to try to use the phrase with the highest number of global searches because that means it’s the most popular.  Yet, you also want to use the phrase with the lowest amount of search results (which is the competition).  So, use your judgement as to what phrases to use.

Now, from the list of phrases that have 1 million or more search results, choose ONE PHRASE.

From the list of phrases that have 100,000 to 1 million search results, choose 2-3 phrases that will support the ONE PHRASE that you already chose in the million + category.

From the list of phrases that have less than 100,000 search results choose 2-3 phrases for each of the phrases that you chose in the 100,000 to 1 million category.

The idea here is to write a website page about the MAIN keyword phrase (this is your ONE PHRASE) that you pulled from the million + list.

Then, to write 2-3 pages using associated keyword phrases to support that ONE PHRASE.  This would be the pages written for the keyword phrases you chose in the 100,000 to 1 million list.

Then, to write 2-3 pages using associated keyword phrases (from the under 100,000 list) to support the keyword phrases you chose from the 100,000 to 1 million list.

Confusing?  Yeah, I know, but if you read what I wrote and go through an example, it’ll be clear to you, I promise.

In Summary

So, the idea here, if you haven’t already figured it out, is to build a section on your website, not just a page, to market a highly competitive keyword phrase.  And these days, there are many more highly competitive keyword phrases than not.  So, it’s a strategy that works.

The downside?  It means more writing.  More pages on a website are not a problem, the glitch is in the writing.  From my perspective, getting clients to write down information is a losing battle.  Out of 50 clients, only 2 do this – the others – it’s just a monthly battle that I don’t win.

The upside?  More business!!!!!!  I don’t know how else to say it, but it’s more business for you.  More sales, more exposure, more everything.  It works, it absolutely works.

Well, I hope this valuable method makes up for my long absence.  I will work hard to keep myself more active in my writings.


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19 Oct 2011
Uncategorized

What It Takes To Succeed In Internet Marketing


Succeeding in Internet Marketing or SEO involves a variety of activities – there’s no ONE magic task or program that works.  Like any other marketing, it involves a team effort.  The “team” being the following…

1) Content

If you’ve done any Internet marketing in the past you may have heard the term that “Content is King”.  Basically, when it comes to the Internet, “content” (also known as words) rule the roost.  The reason for that is because that’s how communication takes place on the Internet (for the most part).

What I mean is that the Internet is basically a collection of machines.  Machines that follow rules set up by programmers.  Machines that “read words”.  Those words being the words that are typed in to the search engines and the words on website pages.

If you’re searching for “davie fl dentist” you will get websites that have the words “davie fl dentist” as well as phrases that the search engines think are related (like “ft lauderdale dentist”, etc.).

So, the game then is to find the keywords that people are typing in and then putting those phrases on the website pages where they need to be (according to the rules made by those programmers).  When that happens, then the search engines can match the search with the website.

Of course, there are 200 rules and just putting words on a page is not enough but it’s the basics and it’s where every single website owner who is marketing their website must begin.  Otherwise, all the other rules won’t make a difference.

2) Conversion

There are many websites out there that bring in visitors, lots and lots of visitors.  But, what’s the point of all those visitors if there are no sales or if the conversion of visitors to customers is very low?  If your website was a storefront and all you got were lots of visitors but very little or no sales then all you would end up with is a very dirty floor in your store.

So, once the visitors start coming to your website, you want to know…

a) where are they going?

b) what are they doing on each page?

c) what are they searching for?

d) are they doing what you want them to do on each page?

Internet marketing involves analyzing these factors on each website page every month to find out how can those pages be tweaked, how can the conversions be better?

Ignoring this part of Internet marketing means that all the hard work you put into optimizing your website will just stay shelved.  In other words, all that hard work won’t work.  Why?  Because optimizing the website, adding content, researching the keywords, all of that is to please the search engines’ rules.  All of that is to help the search engines to find your website.  But to convert customers, now you have to please them.  So, navigation through the site, helping the customers find what they’re looking for easily, all that is a vital part of converting those visitors into customers and increasing your sales.

3) Collaboration

Oh, if I had a dollar for every client I’ve managed who just wants to hire me to market their website and they don’t want to be bothered – I could get myself a very nice expensive bottle of wine.  (And believe me, I need that wine after arguing with these clients!).

I know, I know – you look at shows like Mad Men and you see how clients just walk in and the “team” of advertisers presents them with ideas and does all the work for them.  Creating billboards, television commercials and newspaper advertisements, etc.   Yeah, that works great with traditional marketing but Internet marketing is way too liquid for that.  Internet marketing changes every single day (at least it should).

Here’s what I mean…

I have a client who is a local dentist.  I have been begging her to send me information about her practice for almost a year now.  She has a website but it only has the most basic information on it.

Recently, I did a little search for her on some local programs like Yelp and Foursquare, Facebook, etc.  Anyway, I found several coupons and other “service specials” on those sites.  Now, why didn’t she send me that information?  When I asked her – she said she didn’t think of it.  Even though I’ve asked many times.  Somehow, the connection is just not getting through.

Whatever is happening in your business, it has to show on the website as well.  Otherwise, it seems as if the website is abandoned (and to the search engines, if the website is abandoned, then the business must be also).

In Conclusion

So, to have a successful Internet marketing campaign and get your moneys worth from the marketing you’re paying someone to do (if that’s what you’re doing) – add content to your site on a regular basis, study the conversion research and collaborate with your webmarketer.  Believe me, it’s worth your while!!


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03 Oct 2011
internet marketing • seo • small business

What Is The Expected ROI From Your Internet Marketing?


I just finished reading an entry at a social media site from an Internet Marketer who had recently left his employer because the ROI wasn’t what the employer had expected.  The Internet marketer was using SEO (search engine optimization), social media marketing (via Twitter and Facebook) and blogging.  These three factors put the site in the top positions for multiple keyword phrases in Google.  They were averaging 2 sales per day from his efforts.

So, you may be thinking to yourself…”Well, what did the employer expect?”…

Well, that’s the question, isn’t it?  I mean, did the Internet marketer give him any ideas of what may be expected?  I have to wonder if the Internet marketer was reporting the number of visitors to the site and THEN talking about the sales.  It may be that the number of visitors wasn’t changing much and the employer may have been focusing on that number.  It can happen!

Why shouldn’t you focus on the number of website visitors?

For businesses that are local and specialized, like lawyers, dentists, specialty doctors, etc.  The numbers of visitors to these types of sites will not alter much unless the geography they are in alters.  Think about it, if your a family dentist living in Denver, Colorado – there are approximately 600,000 people living in Denver.  That’s your pool.  You’re not going to attract people from Colorado Springs or from Breckenridge or Steamboat Springs – you’re ONLY relevant to the folks in the Denver area.  And even with that said, it’s really only on the side of town that your office is in.  So, the number of visitors to your site will cap at some point (unless a new community or area is opened up in your geography and more people move in).

So, what’s the point of marketing if there’s a cap in the visitors?

It’s the sales – sales – sales!!!!  If you are marketing your website to 600,000 people and you’re getting 1% of those visiting your website and 5% of the visitors convert into customers your goal (and the goal of your Internet marketer) is to increase that 5% to more and more.  You’re still getting the same number of visitors but now you want to convert those visitors into customers.  It doesn’t help to have more people come to the website if you can’t convert them.

So focus on the number of conversions – if your Internet marketer isn’t giving you reports on your conversions – ask them to start.  It’s the true measure of the success or failure of your Internet marketing campaign .


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26 Sep 2011
internet marketing • seo • small business

Really, Really, Really Comprehensive SEO


As I was having my breakfast this morning I was catching up on the latest SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and Internet Marketing news. I came across this little gem…

“Ten years ago, the SEO process included a monthly analysis, recommendation and implementation plan; a purely human-based process. This is no longer enough. Businesses need daily insight into their digital footprint: rank, competitors, backlinking. This is only possible when humans and technology come together. SEO software systems are now available and make this insight possible.”
From The Globe and Mail

I have to admit, I still do the monthly plan.  Hmm – but this gives me food for thought.  I mean, I look at client websites everyday – so maybe I SHOULD give daily reports?  I’m conflicted cause, as it is, the monthly information seems overwhelming to some business owners.  I can’t imagine how they would react if they start getting daily data from me.  But then, maybe I’m underestimating my clients.

And what about the time?  How can I squeeze more tasks into my day and keep my prices low?  The article talks about “seo software systems” – which are great for analysis but that means more cost.  Ugh – decisions!

Well, as I think about that concept here’s my idea of what I think would be important daily factors for my clients to know.

1) Social media mentions – this would be important to monitor daily.  What is being said about you (and/or) the company or brand?  Maybe nothing is being said, well, that’s not so good either.  These days, the “word of mouth” concept has grown to include referrals and recommendations from programs like Yelp, Facebook, Google Maps, Foursquare, etc.  These are all social media type of programs that can promote your business.

2) Competition Analysis – you may not think that the landscape of search results changes much, but believe me, it does.  There are websites out there that get updated every few hours.  That means new data is added or removed from the site, it’s a constant factor.  Why?  Well, for a few reasons.  For the search engines, it means that the website is getting updated, it’s being used and it is popular.  For the Internet viewer it means that the business is alive and is working hard to keep their clients (and potential clients) well informed and up to date.  Think about it, when you do any kind of research on the Internet, which will you read first?  An article written in 2008 or an article written in 2011?  An article written last January or one written yesterday?  (as long as their both on the same subject!).  The Internet is today’s newspaper, who wants to read yesterdays news when today’s newspaper is sitting in the driveway?

3) Backlinks – who’s linking to you?  Years ago it used to be the number of incoming links was important.  Today, it’s not the number but where the incoming link is coming from and what that incoming link is saying.  If your a plumber and your website gets an incoming link from Angie’s List and the text on that incoming link is a positive review, that’s GREAT!  But what if you get an incoming link from Service Magic and they reviewed your business and gave you a 1 star rating.  That’s not great!  But wouldn’t it be cool to know that right away so you can respond to it?  Possibly correct it?

4) Search Engine Ranking – don’t get fooled by any marketer who tells you that it’s important to monitor your search engine rankings.  The reality is, that the majority of Internet users are on Google and Google implements “personalization” into it’s search results which means that your search results will be different that the search results for the same keyword phrases that your neighbor types in.  It all depends on the history that is on your computer (what sites you’ve visited in the past) and some other factors but it’s safe to say, that your search results could show you in the first position and your neighbor (if he types in the same keyword phrases) may not see your listing on the first page at all.  So, rankings don’t really matter.

5) Traffic – this is another tricky measurement.  I mean every business has their ups and downs so measuring traffic daily is like watching the stock market hourly.  It’s going to go down, the trick is to identify if it’s a pattern.  So, does it need to be done daily?  Not so much in my opinion.  But, it may also depend on the business that the website is promoting.  I suppose this feature would have to be individualized.

So, what do you think?  Would YOU want to receive a daily report from your Internet marketer?  If so, how would you want to receive it?  As an email?  As a PDF?  Or would you prefer to just go somewhere online and see it?  And what information would you like to see in that report?  Let me know!  It just might be something we start offering.

 



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