Posts Tagged ‘Keyword research’

Search engine optimisation doesn't have to be scary. Despite the claims of some, anyone can make simple SEO checks on their website that will make a difference to their rankings. Of course, you must have a strategy in place (and stick to it) if you want to be really successful. So, if you're ready, let's get to it with check number 1. 1. Design For most companies (yes, you too), the look of their site is everything. They invest vast amounts of money on the design of their site because they want it to look 'nice'. Well looking nice is all well and good, but if it doesn't appear in the search results no one is going to see it. Custom built websites are great if you work with a team that are as good with SEO as they are with their creativity (a rare combination). Whether you like them or not, template websites tend ...

Keywords are the holy grail of online marketing and search engine optimisation. They are what stand between your website being relegated to being an expensive electronic brochure that no one ever sees, or being top of the search results in full technicolour glory. So, if you want to be 'top of the websites', you need to do some serious research.   Keyword research   Most people understand they have to target the keywords that their customers use to search for their products and services rather than the ones they think they use. And that means taking the time to do some serious research. But that doesn't stop some people going for very generic words. If you want to stand a chance of ranking for your keywords (and don't happen to have a multi million pound marketing budget), you must produce a list of keywords that are very specific. So if you ...

  What should come first? Your website or your keyword research. Unlike the chicken and the egg conundrum, this one is easy to answer – your keyword research should always come first. Researching your keywords (not guessing) is vital if you are going to get the most out of your web presence. The words you target will have a big effect on your website’s structure, which is why it’s vital you do it before thinking about your design. It’s not until you have your keywords that you can:   Create your SEO Copywriting Plan your anchor text link building strategy Decide on your site’s navigation Create your title tags Decide on your URLs Write your META Descriptions What keywords do you choose? Choosing the right keywords/phrases is paramount, so here are a few tips on making sure you find the right ones. 1. Open your mind First up, you’re ...

  First off, do you know what your conversion rate is? If your marketing is to be effective you not only need to know your conversion rate, you must also understand your conversion goal. Everyone’s conversion goal will be different. It could be: Newsletter sign-ups Brochure downloads Sign-ups for a free trial Email enquiries Phone enquiries As soon as you know what it is you’re measuring, you can begin to track the effectiveness of your website or landing page through Google Analytics. But there is one vital element you need to get conversion and that’s traffic. You can’t have one without the other. Using your analytics you will be able to instantly see how many visitors you are getting, where they are, how they’re finding you, ...

  If you’re an online marketer you need traffic – and a lot of it. Why? Because your traffic is your customers and more customers means more money. How do you actually get more traffic though? And, once you’ve started to get it, how do you convince them to buy from you? There are various things you can do to encourage more people to your website and make it more visible in the search engine rankings. And no, that doesn’t mean plastering it in bright colours with loads of flashing images. Here are 4 ways to help boost your traffic. Remember though, gaining more traffic isn’t going to happen over night. It is something that’s going to require commitment on your part. 1. Keywords This ...

  Sally Ormond, freelance copywriter, comments on Kieron Hughes’ post “Using YouTube as a keyword research tool for SEO” that appeared on SEOMOZ.org When talking keyword research, most people think about what they’re selling (products and services) and probably their geographical location. For many people, the primary tool used is the Google Adwords Keyword Tool. But there is another, frequently overlooked possibility. YouTube. Yes, you would normally associate YouTube with hours of entertaining videos (and some not so entertaining) but it can also be used as an effective keyword research tool. I first came across this idea when I discovered a post on SEOMOZ.org ...