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Creating a New Website? Re-Designing an Existing Website? Talk to Your SEO Pro First!!!

We see it all the time... companies create their new websites or re-design their existing sites without any Search Engine Optimization strategies - and boy do they get a rude awakening when it comes to getting top search engine positions.

Many on-page technical, design, and content factors are involved in SEO for getting (and maintaining) great search engine exposure. Do you really want to spend all the money on a new website only to have it ignored by search engines - or just not found - or going to the wrong page?

Website designers and developers are fantastic at designing and programming websites but most likely don't focus on the SEO components that must be incorporated into the design of the site for maximum search engine effectiveness. Many designers promote the fact that they design "optimized" sites but we have discovered they really don't provide up-to-date or thorough SEO tactics that will give you the best results.  It's very much like a brain surgeon saying she can do open heart surgery: clearly, each discipline requires a different set of skills.

Get at least an hour consultation with a Search Engine Optimization Pro during the planning stages of your new website. You should hear recommendations not only about keywords and meta data but also about photo placement, use of  flash, re-directs, content, internal links, inbound links, off-page optimization, etc.

Search Engine Optimization should not be an after-thought. Get it right from the beginning and you'll have less expense, disappointment, and frustration. 

January White (Hat) SEO Sales Event!

January is typically the month when merchants have their annual "White Sales" to get shoppers to stock up on their towels and bedding. January is the time when Awareness Creation has its annual "White Hat SEO Sale" so that clients can stock up on the best Search Engine Optimization tactics to start off the new year with improved search positioning.

One of the best ways to take advantage of this yearly sales event is to get a Site Audit which includes reviews of the following:

• Your site analytics to determine on-page SEO effectiveness. 
• Page load speed.
• Canonical issues.
• Indexed pages.
• Web content. Specifically checking for duplicate content, insufficient content, use of keywords.
• Indexed pages.
• Back links and internal links.
• Social signals.
• 1 hour follow up Q&A.

Interested? Just drop us an email info@awarenesscreation.com with any questions you may have, your contact info, and we'll get in touch.

And, I want to thank you all for getting in touch with us wondering about this blog. You know, our time and priorities can get high-jacked sometimes as did ours in the last 9 months - oh well, it happens. But, we are now back on track and you can expect continued SEO, SEM, Social Media Marketing, and more Internet Marketing info coming your way!

Carole

Are You Wasting Your Time on Twitter?

You are wasting your time if you post the wrong kind of tweets. A 2012 study (Who Gives a Tweet?) found that those interviewed during their study viewed only a little more than 1/3rd of the tweets they followed as worthy of their time or deserving of a mediocre a thumbs-up. Here are some of the findings of Who Gives a Tweet?:

• 36% of the tweets received were worth reading.
• 39% of the tweets resulted in ambivalent audience reactions.
• 25% of the tweets were not worth reading at all.
• "Question to Followers" tweets are more interesting with an approximate 82% approval rate.
• The "Me Now" tweets (posts giving updates about a mood or activity) were the most disliked with only a 22% chance of being rated as worthy of reading.

Most of the study's participants complained that the majority of tweets are just plain boring. So, what makes a good tweet?

• The Twitter audience appreciates learning new information.
• Funny tweets are always a hit.
• Followers like links within tweets. 
• The longer the tweet (120-130 characters), the higher the click-through rates.
• And, speaking of higher click-through rates, tweets with "via", "@", "RT", "please", and "check" had  higher click-through rates compared to those without those words. However, many believe hashtags and @mentions are overused. 
• Best times to tweet: weekend afternoons.

Now that you have some solid guidelines, you can be sure that tweeting isn't a waste of your time (or a waste of time to your followers).

Here's to better tweets!

Carole

Website & Social Media Copy Writing - MUST GET IT RIGHT!

Copy writing for a website, social media post, PPC ad - any online communication - is different than print copy writing. When you think about, even good copy writing for print marketing materials or advertising uses a different style than what is used for business reports, letters, books, manuals, etc. However, it seems like the concept of using a different type of writing for online communications is a difficult concept for many to embrace.

Web copy writing is not an excuse for poor writing but is an effective style that better fits the medium and audience.

Numerous reliable studies have indicated that web users read online content much differently than print copy (requiring a different writing style for an improved user experience) :

• Web readers jump around the web page scanning for specific bits of information - all within just a few seconds.
• Print readers typically spend more time with content as they read word-for-word, in a linear fashion. Even if you've written a masterpiece, Web readers are an impatient lot who can be turned off by tons of content. 

And, I haven't even touched on the SEO reasons for correct online copy writing. That will have to be for another day.

Just remember that online copy writing can be very powerful or very destructive. My advice:  hire a professional!

Carole

Are You Sabotaging Your SEO – How You May be Zapping the Power of Your Online Touch Points

Many companies are not doing themselves any favor by approaching Search Engine Optimization (SEO) with self-sabotaging practices.  The way a company optimizes their online touch points can really make or break a company’s sales, business development, reputation management, customer relationship building, and Marketing/PR efforts.  
 
The Top 5 Ways Companies Compromise the Power of SEO  

1. Having an “either or” attitude.  Successful SEO Strategies require Social Media and effective Social Media requires SEO.  By having an “either or” attitude, a company misses out on great business advantages that come with the necessary integration of SEO and Social Media. 
2. DIY SEO.  SEO requires specialized expertise.  Most companies have an idea that SEO is important and that they should be using it with their website (and since many of these companies have an “either or” attitude Social Media doesn’t even come into the SEO discussion). However, many companies believe that an intern or employee can do a little reading up about SEO and develop a “good enough” strategy that will get their website to the top of the search listings.  
3. Hiring Cheap “Experts”.  More people are jumping on the SEO bandwagon to promote themselves as “experts”.  You may be seeing this in action when you get email spam from companies that offer SEO services for $15 (USD) per hour.  On the other side, some companies are seeking an SEO “expert” that will create and manage strategies for $17 per hour. 
4. Depending on Web Designers.  Good website designers and developers are crucial to creating a professional website but they are not typically SEO experts.  Finding a balance between good design and usability with SEO is important and some designers may have a lopsided perspective about that balance.
5.  Ignoring online content standards.  To get top search engine positioning your online content must be optimized.  SEO requires a specific style of writing that incorporates very specific SEO tactics. Many Marketing execs, teams, writers, and managers don’t understand the necessity of using a writing style that is appropriate for the Internet and SEO.

Do any of the above sound familiar? If so, just stop!

Till next time!

Carole

Google+ - Can it Really Help Your Internet Marketing Strategy?

Our clients are now asking “what is Google+ and should we start using it”?  Many of our clients have heard about this new platform but wonder why they need to become a part of Google+ when they’re still trying to figure out Facebook.

On June 28, Google launched the trial version of Google Plus (aka Google+) and is an “invitation only” community at this time.  (Get in touch with carole@awarenesscreation.com if you’d like an invitation.) Google plans to outperform Facebook with this new social platform that allows for a higher level of customization, flexibility and privacy.

The one difference between Facebook and Google+ you’ll find appealing is that you can organize your connections in Google+ better than within Facebook.  On Facebook, everybody in your community is a “friend”.  But with Google+ features (such as +Circles, +Sparks, and +Hangouts) you’ll be able to follow, share and communicate with your connections in a more logical, productive and private system.

+Circles. Allows you to organize your contacts into topical groups such as top business resources (Awareness Creation!), business clients, project stakeholders, golf pals, high school friends, etc.  You can easily share specific information, links, videos, etc. with your select circles.

+Sparks. Automatically delivers articles, videos, photos, etc. to you based on your interests.

+Hangouts.  Provides video chat rooms where you can “hangout” with the people in your circles.  A Hangout can accommodate up to 10 users which could be a new option for your webinars, remote meetings, or even catch up time with friends.

Awareness Creation is recommending that you and your company begin to explore Google+ for a number of reasons.

1. Getting to know any new network takes time. Start using the Google+ features while it’s still relatively simple and you’ll be better able to grow within network as more features are added.
2. The features now available are worth getting to know and use.
3. Google+ will be adding the capability to add business profiles. Having a profile that can be indexed by search engines (especially Google) can ultimately strengthen your Internet Marketing – including your SEO.

And last but not least…

Awareness Creation is recommending that the use of any social platform should be included within a strong Internet Marketing Strategy.  When you strategically use online opportunities for the promotion of your company – you can increase your inbound links, website traffic, and client base.

Happy August!

Carole

SEO No-Nos Could be Hurting Your Google Positioning

Just a heads-up:  even though you think you’re only using one URL for your website, search engines may see that your site uses a number of URLs which creates what the techies call a “canonical” issue – which can weaken your SEO strategy and positioning.

For instance: www.awarenesscreation.com is my website URL. However, IF I had a canonical issue (which I don't!), search engines would see that my website used the following additional URLs:

Awarenesscreation.com
Awarenesscreation.com/index.html
http://www.awarenesscreation.com
 
If you have a canonical issue, search engines interpret the situation as using duplicate content, which is an SEO No-No.  Even if you don’t have duplicate content, Search engines will penalize a website as though it has duplicate content if you have a canonical problem.
 
And, if you’re backlinking to a variety of URLs (especially from valuable, authoritative sites) your inbound linking strategy is also going to be weakened which will prevent you from getting top Google search positions.

How to Repair a Canonical Issue & Improve Your SEO
 
Your website developer or hosting company can help you fix this problem:

1.     Select the URL that want to consistently use as your website’s URL.
2.     Create a 301 redirect from all URLs to your selected (canonical) URL.
 
Chipping away at Repairing SEO No-Nos

SEO continues to be important for your business development, reputation management, and online effectiveness. By repairing your canonical issue, you’ll have one less SEO No-No to worry about.

Of course, you’ll still have plenty of other issues lurking around the Web that can sabotage your SEO Strategy and keep you from out in front of the competition; but you can always get in touch with Awareness Creation to help you chip away at those SEO No-Nos!

Happy SEO-ing!


Carole