Clint's Internet Marketing Blog

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2010-04-28T10:22:00.001-07:00

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The Future of My Blog

2010-04-12T09:20:00.001-07:00

I will be posting full time on the main Page 1 Solutions blog. Check out the great information there!

Social Media ROI

2010-03-15T12:01:00.001-07:00

TubeMogul: The Overview

2010-01-29T09:59:00.000-08:00

TubeMogul.com is a relatively new service that has the capability to distribute your online videos to multiple video sharing sites (i.e. YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) with only one upload. Anybody who has experience with uploading videos to YouTube, understands how frustrating it can be to wait up to two hours to get a one minute clip online. And nobody wants to have to repeat that process over and over again with other video sites.

TubeMogul claims to have “rich analytics” and effective video promotion. The best part: It’s free (for now at least). I am just starting to learn about and understand the service and am hopeful that it will not only help streamline our video submission process, but will help us learn more about the most effective strategies for online video creation in general. As soon as I have more personal experience, I will be sure to share my thoughts! Check back soon!

Reasons NOT to Stress About The New Facebook Privacy Settings

2009-12-09T14:39:00.000-08:00

With the recent announcement that Facebook's new privacy settings are going live, many people are worried about sharing too much information. Fears that Facebook profiles have gone from a safe, private place, to one which is not only public to the Facebook community, but to anyone who uses Google (aka EVERYONE) has many users concerned about the personal content they have shared with friends and family.

In reality, the new settings are not going to make a huge impact on any user's experience. Instead, it is going to make it easier to share certain information with only certain people. For example, if you would like to send a message to only a certain group of friends, you will be able to with a simple option that will be next to the "share" button. Or, if you want to share a link (to your own website or blog, for example) you can easily make it public to the world and search engines.

Until this new option, it has been very difficult for Facebook users to separate posts that would be useful to all Internet users from posts that only their friends need to see.

So, instead of being worried about the new privacy settings, realize three things: 1.) Facebook would not do anything that would jeopardize their user-base. 2.) You won't have to read what random people had for lunch (as on Twitter). And 3.) This option makes Facebook an even more valuable web marketing and link-building tool.

Comments, questions or fears about the new settings? Leave a comment!

How Google Social Search works

2009-12-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

There have been many questions lately about how Google will implement social search into it's results, and how this will effect Internet marketing strategies.

In this video, Matt Cutts from Google's search quality team, explains how Google utilizes information from your social circles to improve your search results.

LinkedIn Tips

2009-11-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

With Facebook and Twitter catching so much attention, many practices have been over-looking LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the top social networking site for professionals that should not be ignored. It is a valuable tool for all professionals, even doctors and lawyers. Spend a little bit of time every week connecting with other LinkedIn users and updating your profile.

LinkedIn is especially good for strengthening your online presence, both individually and for your practice. You can use it for managing your reputation, link building, and even for generating leads.

There are numerous ways that you can utilize the networking service. By contributing to discussion groups, you can establish yourself as an expert in your industry. There are thousands of groups, but if you are struggling to find a good one, shoot me a message and I’ll help. You can also show off all of your impressive credentials publicly or post links to your blog or website on your public profile to help drive traffic your way. Or, invite your connections to write recommendations for you, (and try to return the favor). LinkedIn can be a great place for testimonials.

Your profile on LinkedIn demonstrates that you are up-to-date and happy to expose your credentials. People will appreciate your transparency.

Twitter Lists

2009-10-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

Have you logged on to Twitter lately? Most likely, you'll see a notification about the new feature "Lists." Twitter lists are "timeline you build yourself, consisting of friends, family, co-workers, you name it." Essentially, it allows you to sort the users that you’re following into useful categories. You can check out other users' lists (if they’re public) and make as many lists as you'd like.

It's a great new feature, that’s been a long time coming. Let me know what you think, or add @Page1Solutions to one of your lists!

CoTweet: 'How Business Does Twitter'

2009-10-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

Recently, one of my favorite co-workers (who also happens to be Page 1’s in-house social media marketer) brought a new Twitter platform to my attention. CoTweet is yet another third-party Twitter tool, but focuses mostly on companies that have multiple people contributing to their Twitter account (or accounts).

CoTweet allows account administrators to assign tasks to colleagues for follow up and distributes the responsibility for keeping the profile(s) up to date. It is easy to use, too. Like all platforms, it takes adjusting to, but after playing on the platform for a little while, you will realize that it is very user friendly.

Another great aspect of the service is that you can see which user posted what tweets, so you can hold your employees accountable for lack of participation, inappropriate messages, and so on. You can also track your URL clicks by integrating with your bit.ly account. You can schedule tweets for later dates and post one tweet to multiple accounts, allowing you to spend less time on Twitter.

Overall, I highly recommend CoTweet for any company that uses Twitter. It is easy to use, effective, and manageable.

Follow Page 1 Solutions on Twitter: @Page1Solutions

An Intro to Social Bookmarking

2009-09-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

Social bookmarking is great for collecting and sharing your favorite Web pages. It is incredibly convenient, as you can access your bookmarks at any time from any computer. And, if used strategically it can help with your search engine optimization efforts.

If you’re anything like me, using a social bookmarking site will take some getting used to. I’m comfortable with my “favorites” tab on my browser, and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to adjust. But after playing around on Delicious for just a few minutes, I’m hooked.

If you decide to go with Delicious - which I recommend - be sure to download the toolbar on your computer. You don’t have to have it, but it makes bookmarking and tagging a site quick, and is less of an adjustment from original bookmarking.

Also be sure to bookmark your own website, blog, etc. This will only help for SEO, however, if your bookmark is “public.” Usually this option can be found under “settings.” Search engines can see if a site is being shared publicly and so the more social bookmarks pointing to your site, the better.

Comments? Questions?

Twitter Verified Accounts

2009-09-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest problems we’ve seen with Twitter is users impersonating public figures and businesses. In response, Twitter is beta testing with a new feature: Verified Accounts. This feature is currently only available for individuals, but I’m sure that if all goes well, businesses will be close behind.

Twitter will be starting with public figures that struggle with identity theft the most (e.g. movie stars and athletes), but soon will likely offer the option to other users who need protection. So while celebrities and public officials may be first in line, legal and medical professionals may not be too far behind.

If you are struggling with impersonation problems, but do not yet qualify for a verified account, be sure to report your problem to Twitter - they are generally good about pulling fake accounts.

How can you tell if an account has been verified? A badge will be above the user's name, location, and bio. Click here to check out an example.

Follow us on Twitter:

Make Your Own Twitter Logo

2009-08-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

I wanted to quickly share with you a fun Twitter tool that I recently found. TwitLogo is an application that makes is simple to create a Twitter-like logo using your practice name (or any words for that matter). It is easy to save and can be used on your website, blog, e-mail, etc.

With Twitter increasing its popularity, the bubbly blue letters have become easily recognizable. By transforming your name into a Twitter logo for your website or your e-mail signature, your readers quickly realize that they can find you on Twitter. And with the Twitter logo appearing everywhere, the personal touch can make the logo stand out, instead of just blending in with everything else.

You even have the option to personalize your logo further, by changing its colors and size, but be careful as to not lose the Twitter connection completely!

Follow Page 1 Solutions on Twitter:

Doubting the Power of Social Media?

2009-08-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

The following video contains some compelling statistics in regards to social media. Eric Qualman of the social media blog, Socialnomics, is committed to proving that communication via social media is not a fad, but rather a revolution.

Qualman's new book, Socialnomics: How social media transforms our lives and the way we do business will be in stores on Monday, August 31st. I'm definitely looking forward to checking it out.

The Importance of Call Tracking

2009-07-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

Many times while speaking with a new client, they ask me how they will know how well their website performing. To completely understand how successful your online marketing strategy is, you must track everything you do. At Page 1 we use many tracking systems, but the one that seems to be overlooked by many practices is call tracking. Recently, I have found that prospects are calling practices just as often as they are emailing them. By placing a unique 800 number on each of the marketing efforts you are running, you will be able to tell whether the caller found you through your website, a print advertisement, etc. You can even specify the caller’s exact source from the web, i.e. Google natural listings vs. Pay-Per-Click. Armed with this knowledge, you can cut the fat from your marketing efforts and maximize ROI. All phone tracking numbers work with your present office number.

By tracking both online and offline ads, you can easily evaluate ALL of your marketing efforts to see which are performing best. Call tracking has become an increasingly valuable tool for any Internet Marketing strategy. Call tracking can save you time by capturing important caller information such as name, location and phone number. This will further develop your Internet Marketing strategy.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding your marketing efforts.

Controlling Your Reputation Online

2009-07-17T15:35:00.001-07:00

Online networking sites provide a perfect platform for reputation management. You can utilize social media to encourage happy clients to review your work and refer your services to their friends. It also allows you to find any negative reviews or press, so you can initiate damage control as quickly as possible.

Sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn give you this control over your reputation. Don't sit back and wait for other people to talk about you online, start the conversation. Control the conversation.

If you aren't quite sure how to start your social media marketing strategy, let me know. I'd love to help.

The Majority of Online Consumers Regularly Use Social Media

2009-06-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

Statistics show that at any given time, 85% of US consumers online will be reading, viewing or contributing to social content. Whether they’re blogging or tweeting, consumers are relying heavily on social networking sites to share their experiences with the world. Recognizing the value of word-of-mouth marketing can help your practice generate more leads and possibly even save some money.

Encouraging your clients to share their experience with their online networks will certainly help drive traffic to your practice. Consider creating a Facebook page of your own, where clients can publicly express how happy they are. Try using Twitter to announce events or promotions.

Your marketing strategy needs to include social media, if for no other reason than your prospects are using these sites as their primary source for finding a good or service. They're usually free, relatively easy to use, and take little time.

Exclusivity, Do you have it?

2009-06-02T09:11:00.001-07:00

How important should exclusivity be when you are looking to hire a new SEO firm? I would argue that it should be in the top 3 things you should be looking for. As we all know, there are only 10 slots on the first page of any given search engine for natural listings. Knowing that, how would it make you feel knowing that your SEO company takes on 10, 15, or even more clients in any given market place, telling them all that they will get on the first page of the search engines? How do they determine who is going to be their priority? Who pays the most? Who they have the best relationship with? To me this isn’t very comforting. And what if they bring on a new client that pays more than you—where does that put you in their eyes? At most, a good SEO firm should only allow 3 clients per market place, that way they won’t cannibalize their clients’ results and business. Keep this in mind when you are looking for a new SEO firm to take over your site. And if they don’t offer exclusivity, you should be asking them these difficult questions.

Overwhelmed by Social Networking?

2009-05-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

There are literally hundreds of social networking sites on the Internet. With so many options, it becomes difficult to distinguish which you should be using and for what purposes. I think that often times the dilemma of deciding which sites to join, leads us to extremes: We either sign up for them all or shy away completely (neither of which are good options). But these tools can be very valuable to your web marketing and branding strategy, so you might as well jump on board.

First and foremost, if you don’t already have a profile on LinkedIn, get one immediately. It is probably the most important social networking site for professionals such as doctors and lawyers. It may feel like a lot of work, but if you spend a little bit of time everyday on you profile, it will slowly but surely come along. The great thing about LinkedIn is that once your profile is complete, it rather low maintenance. Plus—the discussion groups and networks that you can join and participate in will help establish your credibility. Heck you might even learn something.

Other important social networking sites for professionals include Facebook, Google Profiles, and Twitter. Facebook and Twitter require significantly less work upfront than LinkedIn, but will need involvement on your part (10-20 minutes weekly). All of these, including Google Profiles, will help your search engine positioning and visibility.

Social media marketing is a process. Don’t over-do it, but don’t ignore it.

The Recession and Social Media Marketing

2009-05-06T10:22:00.001-07:00

Recent studies are showing a clear correlation between the downturn in the economy and the growth of social media. Both companies and consumers are beginning to utilize social networking sites, such as DoctorsNLawyers and Facebook, as tools to help survive the recession.

Consumers are putting a higher value on online recommendations and reviews than ever before. They are turning to social networking sites to see what other people are saying about particular products and services. From a consumer standpoint, companies that participate in social networking are easier to relate to and trust. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to lose.

A savvy businessman would take advantage of the opportunity and not let the conversation occur without him. Networking sites are a tool for branding and promotion—they are the next generation of marketing. Networking on the internet is usually free and rarely difficult.

Page 1 Solutions is a perfect example. We maintain over ten blogs, have profiles on many of the networking sites and encourage our employees to do the same. In fact, we think it’s so important that we hired somebody full-time to maintain our online presence. It’s too valuable not to.

LVI Regional

2009-04-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

Hanging out at the NYC LVI Regional. First time in New York City. I cant believe how many people are in 1 city.

Questions To Ask Your New SEO Firm

2009-03-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

I recently had a potential client ask me some great questions and I thought I would share them. I know they are not the only people with these questions. My responses are below the questions, but these are always great things to ask your SEO/SEM firm.

1) Can you give me the background of your company? I see you have an excellent BB rating, and that the company started in 2001, but if you can expound on that it would be great.

Dan, Page 1's president, is a practicing lawyer and he got started with Network Affiliates, who did a lot of TV advertising in the 80’s, 90’s and even currently. He then started Page 1 as a subsidiary company primarily working with law firms but in more recent years we got into the medical field also. See this page for more information about the history of Page 1 Solutions: www.page1solutions.com/more_about_page1.html

2) Do we get to pick the specific search terms and the number of terms we want incorporated into the website?

Yes, but keep in mind that it doesn't do you any good to show up for terms no one searches for. This is something we work on together.

3) How many templates do we have a choice between, can you give me some examples? Also, what kind of control would we have over adding new information, or things such as video or audio, or the blog?

Right now we offer several different templates, depending on what industry you are in. You can see samples of these templates here: www.page1templates.com. As far as adding information to your site, you can give us as much as you want. The more information, the better and everything we write, will be approved by you. The blog is built into the site and you have access to post things 24/7 through the blog. Video and audio we can always add. Another bonus is that you own the website, so all the writing and designing we do for you, you keep.

4) What is the time frame for getting the new website up and running, (I realize the search engine part will build on itself and take some time)?

If we do a template website design, it typically takes about 6 to 8 weeks. Most of the time, we are done sooner than that. Custom website designs will take longer.

5) What is the contract length of time? How long is the monthly SEO rate rate locked in for?

Our contracts are 12-month contracts. The price that you sign up on is locked in for that year. There are certain circumstance that will allow you to lock that price in for 24 months.

If you have any other question or want to discuss in-depth your situation I would love to hear from you.

The Importance of Setting Expectations

2009-02-20T10:14:00.001-08:00

A whole lot goes into creating a website and online marketing strategy. There are also a lot of factors involved in measuring the success of a project. Did we meet client expectations? Did we get the project done in time? Does the website get more traffic from the web? Most importantly, does it drive patients and clients into the practice? When working with our clients, we always try to set realistic expectations.

Setting the right expectations upfront can make or break any project. You must clearly communicate everything they can expect throughout the course of the project. At Page 1 we have a team who is handpicked for every project and we must let our team know exactly what’s expected of them - what they should be designing, building, or writing. If your team doesn’t have a clear vision of what they’re doing, or if our client doesn’t understand what we need from them, the project will inevitably fail. If we build something that we like but don’t take the client's needs into consideration or we don't discuss their vision, we will fail again, wasting valuable time and resources. Also, make sure everyone is clear about what’s next, and that they have everything they need.

Setting expectations isn’t difficult, but it does take time and knowledge. We need to marry our knowledge and expertise with the client’s wants and needs. We get a lot of people who are so focused on the imagery of a site that they can't see the whole scope of the project. Imagery alone does not make a website do well on the search engines. That’s where our knowledge and the setting of crystal clear expectations comes into play. We set these expectations in place with the client up front, before the project is even started.

We use a questionnaire form and a few surveys to start setting expectations and getting the clients creative juices flowing. We always encourage the client to ask questions if they don’t understand something. This initial step can seem long and tedious, but it’s laying the foundation for the project's development over the months to come. You need to take this time to clarify the unknowns and draw out hidden objectives.

Throughout the project, it is this initial set-up and consistency that will make or break a project. I can’t emphasize enough the important of communication and putting everything on the table before you just dive in. In most projects things change as you go, but by not setting these expectations, these changes have the potential to be disastrous, wasting time, money and resources. If you take the time to lay the foundation, the hard stuff won’t be so hard, and you’re almost always guaranteed to keep clients happy and successful.

If you have any question or want to discuss your current project, I would love to hear from you.

Musical Websites

2009-01-20T14:14:00.000-08:00

I was recently on the phone with a with a potential client and as we talked about her practice. We were trying to determine what she really wants to focus on and where she wants to be. In order to get a better understanding of her and her practice, I asked to look at her current website. As soon as I typed in the website address, it popped up and started playing music. I immediately went to turn the music off, but as I clicked on other pages it would start playing again. I got a little frustrated with it and asked her “Why do you like music on your site.” She gave me a real simple answer “I think it adds class.”

She is not alone in that thought. Many people feel that music on their site adds class. For some, it might be welcoming or soothing, but there are statistics that show a far greater number of Internet users who find music on websites annoying.

One main reason people find it annoying is because a lot of research for various services or products are done at work. Maybe on break or even while consumers work. Now, if you are working (or supposed to be working) and you land on a website where music starts to play, you immediately do what I did. You ask the question, “how do I turn this off?” If I was simply surfing the web, I would just hit the back button and move on to a different (and quiet) website.

The most important thing to remember is that when you are surfing the web, you are just doing that, surfing. You are not looking to get serenaded and chances are, you might have music playing on your computer already. The primary focus of your searching is to get information about something so that you can make an educated decision.

If you have any question or want to discuss incorporating other design elements that will keep a visitor on your website longer, I would love to hear from you.

The Power of Testimonials

2009-01-07T09:15:00.000-08:00

I was doing my typical searching on the web the other day, looking at websites and looking for new ways of doing things, when I came across some statistics for online consumers and how they shop. The main statistic that caught me off guard was that 87% of potential patients or clients believe user reviews.

I guess this shouldn’t be such a shock, seeing that we often ask family and friends about the businesses and services they use. They will let you know if they had a great experience and based on their recommendation, you will usually give that business a call. The same goes for negative reviews. If your friend had a really bad experience someplace and they told you about it, you will most likely form an opinion based on their review.

I always tell my clients to collect testimonials and post them on their website, but I never knew how much impact it can have on someone who is visiting your website. These testimonials could very well dictate whether or not they contact you.

If you are not collecting testimonials, you should start. If you don’t know how to collect them, one thing that I suggest is having an exit survey for your patients with a "comments" box for them to fill out. You will be amazed how many people will leave you a nice testimonial to use. Then as a follow-up with that patient, ask them if you can use their quote on your website.

You should also make sure to have testimonials sprinkled throughout your site, instead of just one page. Remember, your site is more than just a bunch of text, it’s a reflection of you, your personality, and what makes your practice special. To today's consumers, this tends to be more important than where you went to school and what advanced training you have.

If you have any questions about testimonials or how you can start incorporating them into your website, please contact me and we can discuss your individual needs.

Google What?

2008-12-19T13:57:00.001-08:00

I was listening to the radio the other morning while driving into work and it was one of the funnier morning shows I had heard in a while. They were having people call in that had Googled someone from their past and the funniest or most bizarre story won some tickets to the Nutcracker. There were people calling in saying that a boyfriend they had from years ago had gone to prison or an ex-husband had told authorities and filed a case for being abducted by aliens. Some really funny stories, but it got me to thinking. Do me a favor today and Google your name. If you haven’t ever done this you should. Your name and information is very viewable these days and these are the types of things your potential patients and clients are doing as they become more affluent in searching on the web.

My point is pretty simple. People start building a relationship with you before they even speak to you. So it leaves me to ask the question of what people are finding on Google when they search for your name. Is it a good reflection of you? And does that information give them the perception that you want them to have of you?

These are just some things to think about. If you would like to talk about your current online image or how to improve your online image, please contact me. I would love to hear from you.

Choosing a SEO Firm

2008-08-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

I was at my aunts 4th of July BBQ last month and met a great lady working for a nonprofit organization dedicated to K-9’s. We started talking and she told me how she has been working with an SEO firm and wasn’t seeing results after working with them for a year and spending lots of money with them. So that got me thinking of all the other times I have had practices come to me saying the same thing. They are skeptical of SEO and question if anyone can really provide results that are measurable. If I was in their shoes, I would feel the same way so, I put together some questions to ask a potential SEO firm that you may be considering.

How long they have been doing SEO?
This is a not a huge qualifier. It doesn’t take years of experience to know effective, honest SEO tactics, but it does take a deep knowledge of the Internet and search engines, and you don’t want to be their first project.

Can you show me three clients who you have positioned on first-page results?
They should always be able to provide current clients that are consistently at the top of the search engines. Also, look for testimonials. These are things every firm and practice should have, including yours. These are very powerful in the eyes of the visitors.

Can you illustrate any significant traffic boosts or conversion boosts?
They should be able to provide you with clients’ results before and after working with them, showing where they were before they started helping, and where they are now. This is a very important metric that should be tracked and recorded.

How do you optimize websites, and how does it differ from other SEO firms?
Any good firm will have no problem explaining how they get results. We want our clients to understand what we are doing. It helps us build trust with our clients and they know we aren’t hiding anything from them. If they seem to be hiding things this should raise a red flag to you.

Do they understand your Industry?
Your website marketing firm should understand the economics of your business as it relates to the Web. I only work in a few industries and I know those industries very well. Knowing the ins and outs of their practice is critical. I know how their consumers shop and what they look for when buying. So ask them questions about your business. See how well they know it and if they have worked with people with in your industry before.

What are your criteria for choosing keyword phrases?
There are many tools out there to see how many people search for certain terms a month. We select our keyword phrases through many years of doing this and working with select professional service industries. We understand your business and how consumers research your services.

Do you have any guarantees of your work?
Most top SEO firms work off their reputation and some even offer guarantees. The firm should clearly explain why they do not have guarantees or what their guarantees are. Make sure you understand exactly what keyword phrases, search engines, and time frame they guarantee.

I hope this helps and if you would like to talk more about making sure you have found a great SEO firm, I would love to speak with you.

Duplicate Content

2008-06-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

One of the most frequent issues or concerns I talk most about with my clients is duplicate content. Is it true that Google will penalize you for your duplicate content? Simply, yes they will.
Google has a webmaster help center and has a very good publication about duplicate content. Also check out the webmaster central blog where there is a great post about duplicate content as well. I suggest reading both as the information you read there is straight from Google. Because this information is out there, I don’t want to sound like a broken record on this issue, so I will just cover a three points.

1. “How to check for duplicate content?” It is a true pain in the butt to check for duplicated content, but thankfully someone a lot smarter than me has come to our rescue - www.copyscape.com. You can enter the URL of the page you want to check and CopyScape will return a list of pages that Google has indexed that contain text that is duplicated on your site, or for more detail you can subscribe to their copysentry service. I get asked all the time about “What percent of a page or website has to be duplicated before I get penalized?” the answer is 13.3333%. Sorry, just kidding, unfortunately none of the search engines reveal this information, mainly because if they did people would know the exact line to get to before they crossed it and would inhibit the search engines’ ability to prevent duplicate content.

2. “How can I make sure I don’t have duplicate content?” Simple, make sure it is written by humans, completely different from any other combination of letters, symbols or words on the web and clearly not manipulated or just reorganized. Here are a couple tips to avoid having your content duplicated:

Make sure that your content is copy written exclusively for your use.
If you have multiple domains that point to the same website content, take advantage of permanent redirection. (301 status report) This informs the spider of the redirection so they understand you are not putting up duplicate content.
When you find duplicate content in your website, rewrite it in your own words so that the search engines can reindex the page with the new, original content.

3. “What to do if you feel someone has duplicated your content?” You can report the duplicate content issue to Google under the DMCA guidelines they provide at http://www.google.com/dmca.html

If you have any question or want to discuss in-depth your situation I would love to hear from you.

Importance of Content with Search Engine Optimization

2008-05-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

I get requests every day about optimization and search engine marketing (SEM). The goal of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is to improve your website’s organic listings for a specific set of targeted keywords, i.e. Denver Lasik, San Francisco Cosmetic Dentist, or Cincinnati Personal Injury Lawyer. Each search engine has a ranking system of algorithms, methods of determining relevancy, and how often it will index pages. Unfortunately, this information is not made public. There are, however, what I call “Best Practices” to use to give your webpage a better shot at being recognized by the search engines and have them find it relevant and credible for those keywords or search terms. There are many “Best Practices” to use, so this post will cover the single most important one, content.

Content, and the organization of your content, is the single most important need for search engine optimization. Search engines rely on the content of a webpage to assess how pertinent and credible that information is to a specific search. The more strategically and unfailing a phrase is used within the content of a web page, the more pertinent and credible the search engines may consider that page to be for that phrase. This is called keyword density, but there is a point where too much of this will appear “spammy,” and raise a red flag in the search engines eyes and hurt your credibility. Another red flag is using duplicate or plagiarized copy. This will also hurt your credibility (to be covered in more detail in my next blog).

Writing content that is made for search engines requires a lot of work. You need to make sure it isn’t just “copy and paste” content. You also need to make sure that it is formatted in a way that it is easy to read and understand for any consumer that will come to your website. People read information from a screen much differently than a magazine or newspaper. I suggest writing at no higher than a 10th grade level. I also suggest having your content written just for your website. With that being said, when I work with a client, I need them to be devoted to the content and review it and give their input. After all, this website is a reflection of you and your practice.

After you have developed and written all the content to get your webpage up and live, (I suggest having 25 to 50 pages of content depending on how competitive your market is), there is an ongoing maintenance that needs to be preformed to keep your content up-to-date and fresh. This way, when the search engine comes around and indexes your pages, it will always see new, fresh content. Search engines love to see fresh content and they will index your pages more frequently when they see it.

There are a couple of ways of doing this, such as adding new pages every month, like FAQ pages, or specific procedure pages. However, the easiest way to add pages and keep fresh content is a blog. Blogging is so easy. You can write about a patient or client that just came through your door and was ecstatic with the their results from your practice. You can also put testimonials into your blog (in addition to an actual testimonials page). Also, develop links within your blog to direct the consumer to target pages. For example, if you are blogging about porcelain veneers, have a link to your porcelain veneers page so they can get more information.

These are just a couple “Best Practices” to use. In the paragraph above, I wrote about links within your blog, which helps with link building. Link building is another way to help your search engine results. If you would like to discuss link building, content development, or any other SEO-related questions, I would be happy to talk with you.

Should I Do Nothing?

2008-04-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

One of my clients recently asked me if they should do nothing? Meaning should they just keep doing what they are doing with the marketing they already have in place. My answer is really pretty simple and someone has already said it better than I ever could "If you keep doing what you're doing , you will keep getting what you're getting." With the economy the way it is you should never just do nothing. You should still be spending marketing dollars but spend them more wisely and in a more cost-effective way. When you're talking about web marketing and search engine optimization, time is the one thing we can never get back. Meaning it takes time for you to show up on the first page of the search engines. It doesn't just happen over night. You don't want to be desperate for leads and just now looking at the Internet to provide those leads. They won't come immediately, and you will be starving for six months and your competitors will be capitalizing on you having just done nothing.