Think eBiz; thoughts on eBusiness

SEO Specialists - be wary, be careful.

Why is it so difficult to find real highly qualified search engine optimizations (SEO) specialists for small and mid-sized businesses. Why are their needs any different than a Fortune 1000 level company?

Recently I have encountered a multitude of search engine optimization vendors that were more snake-oil, less substance to the detriment of their clients. Each had their unique angle for "gaming" the rankings, although they didn't use that word precisely. None of these vendors would last two minutes in presenting their services to a corporation, so why allow them to service your small business needs?

Successful - and ethical - SEO is about providing visitors with a highly relevant experience. This is the foundation for Google. Good strong content, a nicely designed web site, relevant links all contribute to the success of the web site. Success - meaning not only high ranking but conversion ROI. SEO is about ranking and providing more and better conversions - both!

In other words, a highly ranked web site does not necessarily equate to the delivery of real conversion results. Tip: When discussing SEO with a specialist, ask about how their work will affect conversions - not just ranking.

One of these specialist followed an old and actually erroneous technique of adding lots of keywords under the footer - in a color that was nearly invisible on the page. This is not even black hat (evil SEO techniques), it's just an automatic ticket for getting your site blacklisted. But consider this; all this blank or light text below the footer does not render a pleasing experience for your visitors.

Another offered various "submission" packages, whereas they would submit your web site at key-times during the month so that it would be spidered and ranked. Here it is verbatim, after they updated the meta tags on your website (no mention of enhancing your site content):

The next step is submissions. We submit your site to all 14 major search engines twice per month. By timing our submissions to coincide with the search engines re-indexing routines, we are able to achieve a strong placement initially. This timing is extremely important and not something available through software based submission programs. Basically what we are doing in this part is letting the search engines know who you are and what categories to place you in.

Can you actually name '14' major search engines - and we are aware that we can submit sites to Google, Yahoo and MSN all day long - they will visit when they are ready to do so. Have lots of new content, refreshed and the spiders will come often - usually on their own.

And from this same specialist:

We need to increase your sites submission routines, but it must be done in a legitimate way. The use of doorways, gateways and mirrors are commonly used for this purpose, but can have negative results when found by a search engine. WE DO NOT USE ANY OF THESE TECHNIQUES! What we do is unique to our company. We use what is called "Directory Information Pages" , also known as D.I.P's. These pages are non-publicly viewed pages hosted on our own servers that are seen by the engines as completely unrelated websites.

I am glad they do not use any of those black-hat techniques - they have their very own! BUT the question to ask, how does all this enhance the user experience and help deliver more and better results? Perhaps their technique will temporarily cause an increase in ranking - but it could also be a quick ticket to the blacklist ball.

Finally, with this vendor, for nearly $3,000 set-up and $100/month - they...

Warrants top-10 ranking on at least 6 of the 14 major search engines.

My guess is that you will not see top ranking on Google, Yahoo and MSN, which represents nearly 94% of all searches. TIP: Ask for their success and warranty on these three major search engines.

Their proposal was totally devoid of any enhancement to the user experience - content and even relevant linking. Relevant linking is a means of getting related web sites to link to yours. If your web site sells car parts, having links from auto related blogs and non-competing mechanic/auto web sites will enhance your ranking.The key, these are related sites to yours.. and will actually deliver visitors as well from those sites to yours. The DIPS (good name eh) mentioned above is on non-public sites, so how will this help deliver qualified visitors?

We at Think-ebiz could go on and on about this subject - and may in additional articles as we uncover more snake oil. One last tip.

To rank high for a specific keyword is important - but do people actually search on that keyword? Ranking high on seldom used keywords is equivalent to having a fantastic billboard - in the middle of the woods.

Ask the specialist for samples of keywords they have ranked high or ones they project for your web site. Then do some simple homework. Visit the Overture Keyword selection tool and enter in the keyword. This easy to use tool will provides an estimate of the number of searches for the given keyword during the prior month (on Yahoo). If the result is at nor near zero, then you may be dealing with snake-oil. And also consider the level of competition for the keyword, expressed on Google as the number of possible results (top right of the search results page). Total results under 1 million are not very competitive, 1-10 million are moderate, 11-25 million are highly competitive and over 25 million is very competitive. It is relative easy to gain high ranking in the moderate category, and possible but may be expensive to reach high ranking in the highly or very competitive categories.

The following is a fun example of this last point, using the keyword Stephen Harris (click on image to view).

In this example, this keyword meets the requirements of an SEO specialist. The keyword is ranked #1 in a moderately competitive keyword and there are indeed 640 searches per month (on Yahoo) for Stephen Harris. Wow, am I that popular?

In conclusion - ask questions and always relate the service offering to how this will enhance my visitors experience - on the 'three major search engines' and deliver real results for your web property.

SEO Specialists - Snake Oil Sales People?

Recently industry guru Danny Sullivan was challenged by Jason Calacanis, who pronounced that 90% of SEO specialists are snake oil salesmen. Personally, I respect Danny and his views, and yet there is "some" credence to Jason's comments. We at Think-ebiz have held to the fact that a highly relevant website, based on clear content and appealing design will always do well in organic search - and conversions!

"Now, if you make great content, keep your page design clean, and stick with it you're gonna do just fine in the rankings."

We often get calls about "SEO" and turn the discussion back to effective web design. What good is a large scale SEO and/or paid click program that drives interested shopped to a web site that is un-usable, disorganized and generally unappealing. In other words, build a great site that well represents your brand and message, and the rankings will follow.

However, on Danny's side of the fence - we work within the confines of the Google and Yahoo algorithms and thus we know there are white-hat adjustments that can enhance the sites relevance and usability - even if it sounds like gaming the system. Adjustments to title tags, image alt-tags and site infrastructure are important (the latter for the spider, the former for the both). A qualified SEO specialist knows the balance between what the search engine spiders are seeking and the relevancy that the buying public requires. To not work with the search engine algorithms is foolish.

Do snake oil SEO sales people exist?  We believe that the answer is yes. We advise our readers and clients to focus on the quality of your site, and not get caught up in claims that are (in many cases) unrealistic. I had an email debate with an SEO person (who thought i was a possible client) and he made his case by showing me keywords where he had received a top ranking. However, a quick check and you find that virtually no one has searched using these words. I can do this too - try searching on Stephen Harris in Google, and see who is #1, just ahead of the Wikipedia entry for the Iron Maiden founder by the same name. Conversely if an SEO specialists guarantee's you will have a page one placement in a hot keyword like diamonds is also unrealistic and a disservice. Why?

There are over 50.7 Millions responses for Diamonds, yet only 3.5 million for Diamond Earrings. Where do you think the buyer will be more likely found - and any search term with 3.5 Million responses is one that you could achieve a solid ranking... in time.

A quick word on linking, where I think Jason is making is case. We prescribe to the relevancy, so if you have inbound links form related web sites and affiliations, you are playing by the rules, enhancing credibility and potentially driving sales. We think that over time as Google adjusts their algorithm and closes loopholes, sites with thousands of unrelated inbound links will sink, and those with prudent amounts of related links will rule the day.

For now, yes there are snake oil generated in inbound links...   but consider this. If you are the marketing officer for a retailer web site and focus your time and money on inbound links and not tackling relevancy and web site usability, you can brag about your page one ranking from the unemployment lines! Conversions are what matters to management and investors.

Link Building; will the rules change?

Content is king; but link building is the current Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy for successful SERP (ranking). With more and more articles and discussion on link building one must wonder when Google (and the other major engines) will change the rules once again.

In the eyes of Google, a site highly rank delivers the best most relevant experience to the visitor. At least, that is their intention. And for the site owner, a successful site is one that delivers highly qualified traffic. So with link building being more of a SEO play; does both relevance and site traffic suffer? Will Google recognize this as gaming and change linking strategy rules?

And are SEO specialist focusing on linking as a quick means of a successful SERP; without due diligence in content and overall experiential adjustments (tags, aesthetics and so on)? Recently I read about a "pyramid" linking scheme. This can't be good for relevance and traffic building; although it may be beneficial for ranking purposes. Does this in fact benefit the end user; the visitor?

Many open questions - so what is the next frontier for the SEO specialist, if linking rules are changed? I believe it will be back to content and a form of quality score; whereas frequently visited sites are given preference over those less traveled to. Focus on the searching visitor, delivering a highly relevant experience from the search to the click is what drives Google. If this were not the case, then users will defect to other channels to seek a better search experience. My suggestion; be prudent with your linking strategy but continually focus on your visitors - and then when Google does make a change - you're site will be ready.

Headlines. Need they be boring online?

How can a writer write headlines that satisfy a search engine spider sees and a human reader? These two audiences may seem different, but are they in reality?

The search engine spider has no means of interpreting humor, sarcasm - and cannot draw out analogies. Whereas there is always a danger in writing that the human reader won't understand these nuances in the manner desired by the writer. There is a middle ground, or perhaps a strategy that works for both types of readers.

The New York Times writes about the "boring headlines" required for search engine optimization (SEO), in an April 9th column by Steve Lohr. However, I believe that the extra thinking that writers and editors must now go through for their web based publications delivers a better product for the readers; human or otherwise. Relevancy is the central pinnacle of SEO. If the headline reflects the article, then there is a strong relevancy. Word the headline with both fact and some level of promotion (attract the reader to dive in) makes for a better overall experience.

Then there is the strategy devised by editors, whereas the main web page has a promotional headline, yet the actual story is much closer to the point (factual). The human reader is motivated to click the story from the main page, whereas the spider picks up the actual story page.

Although this strategy is sound, perhaps there is more common ground. In one example cited in the New York Times article:

Another headline meant to lure the human reader: "Tulsa star: The life and career of much-loved 1960's singer." One click down: "Obituary: Gene Pitney."

The first headline has very little perceived relevancy, and the second is mundane and yet highly factual. A common ground exists for both readers. On line headlines need not be boring. For instance:

Gene Pitney, a Tulsa Star; The life and career of a much-loved 1960's singer.

At the least, the offline world is trying, as they recognize the power of on-line publishing and the need to produce their writing with relevancy.

KinderStart attacks Google 4 Secret Sauce

KinderStart, a Silver Lake Ca., web company that provides parents with child care advice via their own search engine (www.kinderstart.com), is suing Google. The claim is that Google has punished KinderStart and dropped their rankings, enough so that traffic has been greatly reduced at this portal. This allegedly occurred in March 2005.

Currently KinderStart has no page ranking, and the complaint was not specific as to what keywords were vital to this business. Although a search for the word "Kinderstart" found one deep-link occurrence (ranked #4).

Unfortunately we do not know the details of this complaint. Was Kinderstart.com doing some "black-hat" SEO that put them into the sandbox or was it just poor technique? I doubt it was a personal vendetta.

I cannot see this being a very fruitful lawsuit. This suit follows the de-listing of BMW and others; a tough stance for rooting out black-hat gamers. And also a rash of bad news for the Googler's (fraudulent click payout, financial errors, a few extra PowerPoint slides in the deck, China, Privacy ...). No wonder Google's stock is now on taking the down elevator.

We'll watch the KinderCare suit with interest; but doubt we'll learn much from this legal course.

SEO - Beware Snake Oil

I received an eNewsletter from someone that was proud that their web site had a #1 Google ranking for a given keyword phrase. His promotional newsletter went on to discuss how he did it and asked "Can you do the same Stephen?". In the end, he was promoting a book on Google ranking.

First off - to answer his challenge, yes I can and have (enter Stephen Harris in Google, and my professional web site is #1 our of nearly 39 million results. I am proud of this, but also realistic - Stephen Harris is not a major competitive keyword. However, based on Overture's keyword tool - there were 307 searches for this keyword in January  (900 for all major channels).

However, the keyword phrase that the author of this newsletter used was ranked #1 with over 60 million results, impressive. However, based on Overture... no one searched for this keyword in January. Zero/zilch.

The morale of this story. When an SEO specialist recommends a keyword phrase for your business - make sure its one that people actively use in searches. Being ranked number 1 in a seldom (or never) used keyword phrase is like a billboard in the woods. Just be careful when working with an SEO specialist to make sure you are going to get true brand awareness and results - and not snake oil.

Cloaking; The Darkside of SEO?

The Romulans had the power to cloak, to secretly (via a false image) slip past the USS Enterprise. And some websites are slipping past Google, presenting a false image of who they really are to gain advantage.  Is this really a dark-side black hat technique for optimizing your web site? Generally the answer is yes.

First, cloaking is the ability to intercept a search engine spider, by detecting their IP address - and present this spider with a highly optimized web page. Not the same page that you or I normally would see. And this is the problem with cloaking. It's a trick to slip past the USS Google to achieve a false high page rank, presenting a web page that may not be relevant for the end user.

However, there may be one situation where cloaking should be considered a legitimate tool for a web site owner. In a case where your web site is highly dynamic and personalized, the Search Engine spider would find a virtually empty web site (spiders have no personality). In this circumstance, if the spider is directed to a "typical" web page, one that has content that could be seen by most human visitors, then this should be considered a legit use of cloaking.

At this time, Google does not detect the different use of cloaking. So if your web site is detected employing this technique, watch out for USS Google's phasers - Serg! Fire Phasers  (sorry Sulu).

SEO or be Fired!

No, this title isn't about Donald trump's The Apprentice. Instead, it is about how ignoring SEO could affect your career...

In a January 30th article in DM News, it was reported that the head of FTD's marketing was replaced when he chose not to implement an SEO strategy for the holidays. This lack of SEO caused their holiday sales to fall below expectations. In a competitive space such as Flowers and gifts, where online is a huge component - what was this guy thinking?

Read this http://www.dmnews.com/cgi-bin/artprevbot.cgi?article_id=35461&dest=article article from DM News.

SEO spending is on the rise - as is overall online marketing spending. A search engine optimization strategy should be seriously considered and implemented in any competitive multi-channel program.

Or it could cost you your career...

SEO and Web Site Effectiveness

With permission from MediaPost, a great source of news and information for the online marketer; my recent article was published. How does great coffee and search engine optimization related? Please Read On:

SEO and Effective Web Design

by Stephen Harris, Tuesday, Aug 16, 2005 2:16 PM EST

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU been approached to perform search engine optimization (SEO) magic on a Web site? It would seem that a lil' dab of content density adjustments, a dash of linking strategy, and an H1 tag make-over is all that is needed to give a Web site that spark. Sales will certainly follow, right? I need SEO! When I hear this, my first instinct is to take a step back and review the person's Web site. Often it is apparent that the answer to that question is, well, no. It will take more than SEO to bring on the sales. Is SEO important? A resounding yes, of course it is. For many Web properties it's a critical element for a site's overall success. However it is not the only element for a successful online experience. Absolutely, a well optimized site, under the right keyword(s), delivers enhanced branding and establishes credibility and ultimately the coveted "free" clicks. However, what some Web site owners fail to realize is that a well crafted title tag is just one factor for success. When discussing SEO, I first explain what SEO can do and then step back to view the complete online marketing landscape. An analogy often works best: Think of an effective SEO as an advertisement for your coffee shop, which is well placed at a train station. Your sign for fresh brewed coffee is the first one a commuter sees, and it's enticing enough that all other coffee shop advertising is bypassed. However, when the visitor arrives at your store, they can't easily find your selection of coffees and are distracted by signs for lunch specials. Not to mention, there is no one at the cash register. In other words, effectiveness doesn't come just from having a No. 1 ranking. It also takes an effective destination. To create an effective Web site, marketers should, at a minimum: Create a well integrated and seamless experience from the search phrase entered by the visitor to the first message they see when the site is displayed. Imagine the coffee shop now with a large sign displaying the available coffees and the smell of fresh roast. Establish credibility and provide basic information on the main Web page. It's like having the local newspaper do a great review of your coffee shop prominently posted on the walls. Provide easy and intuitive navigation; make it very easy for your visitor to find what they are seeking. A clearly defined area where you can learn more about the available coffees and someone who can answer your questions. Establish a strong call-to-action, well positioned on the Web page. Make it easy for your well motivated, and caffeine starved consumer to purchase that fresh cup of coffee. SEO and a poor Web site experience are like buying a cup of stale coffee. Of course, an effective SEO dictates effective use of content, but it doesn't necessarily require intuitive navigation and a strong call-to-action strategy. Further, there are some SEO practitioners that focus on the behind-the-scenes or black-hat methods, which do not aid in providing a quality user experience. High ranking perhaps, but what about the conversion? Combining effective search optimization with an effective Web site creates a strong synergy that may well deliver the sales that the site owner is ultimately seeking. Online marketers can use SEO to leverage a better overall experience and relationship with the client by delicately pointing out that a high ranking is nice, but selling more coffee is so much better.

Stephen P. Harris is managing director of SPH Associates, an Online Marketing Agency. He can be reached at stephen@sph-associates.com

Blogs and SEO Strategy; Your Advantage

Back in October we wrote about the power of Blogs as an search engine optimization (SEO) strategy (Think-eBiz 10/2004). Well it seems AdTech and a recent series of online newsletters are all abuzz about blogs and SEO. Maybe for once we were slightly ahead of the curve?

On Topic Content, frequently updated with plenty of links; these are the reason why a blog works so well in a search engine optimization strategy. These three reasons make up the main tenants of an effective SEO strategy!To their credit, these articles have gone further than my discussion; to clearly express the advantages and risks of a blog for your business. Make it an online commercial, and no one will pay attention. Update your content occasionally, and you will lose your audience to more frequently written sites. Even the search engine spiders will ignore you! Strike the right balance of news and information, and your website (naturally well linked from the blog) will garner the rewards.

How does your website reap the benefits of your blogs page rank? When the spider reads your well ranked blog and discovers a link to your related website, some of this page rank is shared with your site. This makes sense; if the blog speaks to a specific topic, and there is a link to your website, with the same or similar content; the spider will consider your website to be important.

One tip on the links to your website (from another website or blog), the hyperlink text should speak to your keyword phrase (your topic). If the link (the text written within the <a> tag) says "click here", then the spider will think your website is about clicks. Instead, structure your link in this manner:  Click here to learn about <a>Online Marketing and SEO</a>.

In a future article we will discuss how taking this single blog to the power of ten will give your website an intense SEO advantage, legally and ethically. We call this strategy; Blogsets.

SEO; The Truth & Hype

More and more I am being asked about how a web-site owner can achieve success through something called SEO (Search Engine Optimization). The way the question is posed, the questioner has a strong belief that SEO is the great savior in Online Marketing. For some online marketing service providers, this belief is gold in their pockets.

Stephen, are you saying SEO is a pipe-dream? NO; but it isn't the savior either. SEO is an important tool in your online marketing arsenal; but its value comes when incorporating it within an more holistic strategy. SEO by itself is not the answer.

What is SEO? It is the ability to have your web-site ranked high in the organic or natural search segments of Google, Yahoo, MSN and others based on the keyword (plural and phrases) that reflect your  business. It means that when a person enters Home Furnishings in Google' search box, your website appears on the first page; even within the first '5' rankings.

Why is this important for me? Two reasons: The first; this well ranked position brings brand awareness and a sense of credibility to your company. Your company, and specifically your product or service is seen as relevant - in this case to home furnishings. Secondly, think "free-clicks". Unlike the sponsored links, when a person clicks your 'naturally' ranked ad, there is no money changing hands with the search engine provider. One study I found said that more than 70% of the clicks are from the natural segment.

Sounds great, so how do I get top ranked? Here is where we separate the hype from the truth. Yes, you could be top ranked but there is no guarantee; and any vendor that says they "guarantee" you top ranking is, in my view out-right lying.

The truth is, it can happen but it takes time, especially in highly competitive keywords. To be successful, you need to conduct a holistic analysis of your website and understand what your objectives are. What is the measure of success; branding, leads and/or sales? It takes a commitment for you, the website owner, to make changes to your website.

The changes on your site should not only address what the search spiders like (spiders are the way search engines find, Analyize and rank websites), but also what your visitor will find compelling. Is your site easy to navigate? Is the information quickly consumable by the visitor, and is there a clear call to action (buy now and save!).

The bottom line; SEO is important and should be addressed by any site-owner that wants to do business on the Internet, but it should also be part of a larger more comprehensive online strategy. I often suggest a mix of SEO with Paid Search or other vehicles,  until a site is well ranked - along with a serious review of the web-site itself - holistic.

And if someone is hyping SEO as the online savior; you might consider trying another search for a more credible vendor: in my humble opinion.

PS: I have noticed some online agency's are including information on Ethical SEO; which is a step in the right direction. 

PS: And one other quick pet-peeve; if a vendor tells you they can place you on 10,000 search engines; keep on walking. 99% of all search is on Google, Yahoo and MSN.

Affiliate Marketing, an SEO Strategy?

Google rewards websites that represent expertise in a given subject, a go-to Internet property on a particular topic. Relevancy is vital to SEO success. Does the content and theme of your site relate to a specific keyword or phrase? And, do other web owners recognize your site as being a subject matter expert (SME)?

SEO success is made up of many factors, content being preeminent. However, to be truly recognized as relevant is best realized from your peers.

And just how do your peers recognize your web site as a SME? By linking to your site from theirs; known in the SEO industry as "linking" strategy. Next to content, linking strategy is one of the most effective means of naturally promoting your website. To be effective implement a linking strategy in a manner as follows:

• The site that links to yours should be relevant to the site's topic or keyword/phrase.
• The anchor text of the link to your site should contain the keyword or phrase that you are trying to be listed and search engine ranked.
• The link should be mono-directional, not reciprocal, from their site to yours.

Affiliate Marketing can support linking strategy. Affiliates, by their very nature, are mono-directional links to your web property, often with text/alt tags that describe your service. Great, except I can hear you point out two drawbacks to this strategy:

1) Affiliate links often go through an intermediary, such as Commission Junction.

2) Affiliate websites may be highly generic or not tightly relevant in relations to your own.

So how do you implement an Affiliate SEO strategy?

• Use a direct link from the affiliate to the merchant site, where the affiliate network supports a pixel based tracking strategy. The visitor clicks direct to the merchant, which then fires up the pixel tracking, which is placed on the merchant landing page, to the affiliate network.
• Approve affiliates that are "on-message" or relevant. If you want to have a large cast of affiliates, provide the direct link to the highly relevant sites, and the regular intermediary tracking code for all others.

In this way, relevant affiliates help support your SEO linking strategy, while driving business to your website. A winning Internet strategy for your business.

Blogs and SEO, a winning partnership

When it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Blogs are hot! In the world of SEO, "content" is King and "linking strategy" is the Queen. Google is known to reward sites with highly relevant content with equally relevant linking. Well written and focused Blogs are well suited for both.

Here is why:

Assuming that the Blog is highly focused on a specific subject (i.e. Personal Financials), it will attract the attention of like-minded Bloggers. Like minded Bloggers add links to your site on their own site. Google rewards websites (a Blog is a website) that have links to other similar websites, by giving them a higher ranking. In SEO terms, this tells Google that your page is highly relevant for its assumed keyword. That's a good thing!

Website SEO isn't easy, so why not leverage a corporate Blog to enhance your own websites visibility. As an example, let's stay with the "personal finance" example. You’re a financial institution - so create an informational Blog with a strong call to action right on the Blog! Don't hide who you are, but give your readers worthwhile un-biased personal finance tips & suggestion. Establish a level of trust and present your readers with a "Contact an Acme Financial Consultant today for a free assessment". A call to action right on the Blog. Plus include a link to your company website as well. Thus, some SEO benefits for your website as well!