Archive for October, 2010

Tools for Avoiding Duplicate Content on your Website

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

One of the keys to maintaining a successful online business is ensuring that your website’s pages are filled with informative and unique content. When search engine robots scan the web for sites to use in results, those with pages bearing over 70% resemblance to each other are quickly dropped to the bottom of the rankings.

Okay, so that’s an easy fix. Just scan your website to identify whether you have duplicate content or not, right? Well, no. Not right. Duplicate content isn’t only determined by onsite copy, but by meta descriptions, title elements and other items you may not think to check. Plus, what if you have hundreds of different pages on your site or templates that have redundant information? What do you do then?

Luckily, there are several diagnostic tools you can use to identify and then alter your website’s duplicate content. Here are a couple of free ones for you to check out:

  • Google Webmaster Tools: Get detailed reports on your pages’ visibility, understand how Google crawls and indexes your site, find out which Google search queries drive traffic to your site and share information about your website with Google to be more involved in the search and result process.
  • Webconfs.com Similar Page Checker: Determine the percentage of similarity between web pages. Simply input the two URLs and Similar Page Checker will give you a quick, precise evaluation.

Once you pinpoint duplicate content on your site, you can then begin to take steps to correct the situation. After you have evaluated and re-worked your site, be sure to continue to monitor your content to keep your pages at the top of search engine rankings.

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Google Instant’s Impact on SEO

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

It’s been a month since Google launched its new search engine, Google Instant, and after the first few weeks of the new era of web searches reports are showing that … not a whole lot has changed.

When Google Instant first went live, the SEO blogosphere went bananas. People across the web were making huge proclamations like, “SEO is Dead!” and wringing their hands in anticipation of what was coming next. SEO authorities declared that Google Instant was going to revolutionize the way Internet marketers thought and worked.

And it did … kind of. So far, research shows that keyword search rankings haven’t been significantly impacted and neither have the numbers on search term length.

The one notable positive result is that organic traffic to websites is up, which is great news for Internet marketers. As Google Instant refines search terms while a user types, they also personalize the results so that a user has a much better chance of finding exactly what they are looking for.

How is that great news for Internet marketers?

Well, for businesses who have pinpointed their ideal client and have targeted their marketing toward them specifically, Google Instant is a new best friend. The combined forces of a company’s well planned SEO efforts and Google Instant’s ability to produce individualized search results create the optimal atmosphere for joining marketers with their target audience faster and more accurately than ever!

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Free Internet Marketing for Businesses

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

Take advantage of all that the Internet has to offer. From social media communities to a customized blog for your company, there are tons of ways you can freely promote and market your products to old and new clients alike!

Facebook: Create a Facebook profile for your company then develop a Fan Page for each of your products.

Twitter: Update followers on the latest news at your company or provide helpful tips and hints, 140 characters at a time.

You Tube: Like having your very own TV station, You Tube lets you post your own informational or instructional videos online.

Linked In: Stay connected to business contacts and clients and make new ones in your industry.

Newsletters: Keep your client base updated on your business and product offerings while keeping your name and company on their radar.

Blogs: With regular blog postings you can develop an online community centered on your company’s industry while updating readers on your offerings and products.

Articles: Establish your expertise in your area by writing and submitting articles to online websites that promote your industry.

For most Internet start-up businesses, there isn’t a lot of extra cash lying around to spend on marketing. Luckily, there are many ways entrepreneurs can promote their products and companies online without dropping lots of dollars. Explore all that the World Wide Web has to offer for you and your business. You’ll be amazed at the results!

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The Power of Newsletters

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

Are you looking to keep in contact with your list and ensure that your name is the first on your clients’ minds when they’re ready to buy what you’re selling? A regular newsletter is a great way to stay in touch and remind your client base what your company offers and what products you have available for them.

Marketing is a tricky game because the moment you’re ready to promote your services does not necessarily coincide with the time your customer is ready to buy. Offering a well thought out, professional newsletter is a great way to keep your company and product in front of your clients without pressuring them to purchase. At the same time, it ensures that when they are ready to buy, they’ll have quick access to your contact information.

As time passes, a potential client you met at a networking breakfast who is finally in the market for your product might not remember that you sell it. Or maybe in that conversation you mentioned your teleseminar, but you didn’t get the chance to tell her about your retreats or eBooks. A newsletter gets that chance back for you.

Newsletters remind your clients, and potential prospects, of what products and services you offer and guarantee that when they’re finally ready to make a move, you’re within easy reach. Although a regular newsletter may seem like a daunting task, it’s really easier than you think. You can include things like helpful tips and tricks, lists of useful information or links to articles. You should make your newsletter short, interesting and valuable. Because it’s a representation of you and your company, be sure it’s well written and looks professional. Most important, be consistent and get your message out there because, if you’re not telling them, who will?

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