On-Page SEO Best Practices

There are several approaches to search engine ranking efforts and when looking for an SEO company, you should ask for information about what specific steps they will take to help improve your search engine ranking. SEO research to analyze your current website and keywords is the starting place for many search engine experts.

Keyword tagging is one method that should be foundational in any internet marketing plan. This is the process of using specific targeted keywords in tags. Meta tags are the tags that are associated with descriptions of website pages and elements such as embedded images or videos within a website. Keyword tagging is extremely important because SEO tags are one of the ways in which search engines identify website content as part of the indexing process.

Meta tags should contain keywords identified in a targeted keyword analysis. SEO tags not only contain targeted single keywords, but may also contain long string keyword phrases.

On-Page SEO Factors

There are several on-page factors to be taken into consideration by an search engine marketing expert. First, keyword analysis should identify the specific SEO keywords to be used as part of search engine optimization efforts. Both single targeted keywords and long string keyword phrases should be integrated into site content.

Keywords should also be integrated into not only meta tags but also into any page titles and into the tags for video and images embedded in the page content. SEO tags can also be included in product descriptions and page links.

Many small business owners find that they do not have the time or the desire to learn about search engine optimization and internet marketing concepts. Instead, they opt to hire an search engine expert to help them out with their internet marketing efforts. If you believe you would benefit from the efforts of an SEO company, please contact us for an in-depth SEO keyword analysis and we will help you identify ways in which we can help you improve your search engine rankings and increase your profits and internet presence.

1. Write about Your Experiences
When you write about your own experiences as an individual or as a business, your readers get a chance to feel closer to your writing. This way you shed that professional but cold skin that your business may have and let the reader look at your own failures and successes as a real person. And this is something that people love to read about – A real person’s stories and experiences.

2. Write a Post on a Readers Comment or Question
The next thing people love to read about is about themselves. When a reader comment on a post with a good point of view or a point worth exploring and debating, make sure you grab the opportunity to turn it into blog content. This way you are not only responding to their comment or question but you are also honoring them as an intelligent individual.

3. Write about Hot Topics in Your Industry
There is no industry or market around us that is stationary. Well, almost none. Since there is almost always something going on in every industry, pick the red hot topics being debated in your industry and write about them.

4. Write about Latest News
People like to stay on top of things. Give them the opportunity to do that through your blog by writing about news items. You can add a twist to news with blog writing tailored according to your opinion or take as an individual or a business.

5. Write about Another Online Resource
You can also write reviews about another blog or a website or an eBook. You can also write a real book review for that matter. Just keep it new and fresh.

Both as an individual and as a business, you are bound to have experienced numerous unique incidences. You would have also learnt many lessons based on those experiences. Why not share them with your readers by writing about them in your blog? Here are the top 5 reasons you must do this:

1. Helps your readers relate to you > When you blog about a business experience, you are adding a personal touch to your otherwise professional blog. Readers like to be able to relate to you by knowing you better. Business experiences shared in the form of blog posts give them the chance to do that.

2. Offers readers valuable life advice > You have spent a certain time and effort in building your business and to get where you are in life. This can prove to be valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Even if the reader doesn’t aim to be a business person, they can still gain some value from your business experience when you share it. This makes them value your blog more.

3. Helps build loyal readers > When the above two reasons are combined and readers get not only value from your blog but also can relate to you better, they are more likely to become loyal readers.

4. Makes your writings believable > Giving out genuine advice based on your real life experiences makes you more believable, instead of having to tell readers how to earn money when you are actually broke.

5. Gives you unique material to blog about > Last but not the least, when you write about business experience in your blog, you get to add fresh, unique content to your blog.

Given you use this really powerful tool in the right way, you can show off your expertise on the business niche that you are into and that your small business website is all about.

Know What You Are Talking About
Be sure that your blog writing has substance. This can only happen when you know your trade well. Another thing that you need to know is how to write well. If you think that is not your forte’, hire a good blogger or an internet marketing company offering blogging services.

Use Some Exclusive Facts and Figures
Include some relevant numbers into your writings. Since you are operating in the industry and would have done your research, chances are you already have relevant market figures. If not, subscribe to some forums or websites where you can get them from. If you have hired a blogger, supply them with the relevant numbers to include in their writing for your website.

Write with Authority
Let the readers know that you know your stuff. Write in a way that tells them you have the desired skills and capabilities required for your industry. Make sure that your hired bloggers also follow the same route. This will convince the readers about your expertise and knowledge on the subject and they will turn to you when they need guidance.

Offer Some Free Valuable Tips
It is not necessary that you always charge for your services. If you want to capture the readers’ hearts and minds, offer them some of your valuable tips for free through your blog writing. But make sure that the tips are easily usable by the readers and that they need them.

Our Facebook fan page was set up and listed as “Local Business” which is fine, was fine. Now that the company has been in business almost 2 years, I thought a more focused approach would fit and list the company for “Internet Services” or “Web Development” or “Internet Marketing”. I was reluctant to find another fan page, one of which is in our line of business labeled with “Internet/Software”. I wanted this for Whiteboard and so the search began.

I first thought it was an acceptable change which I could make on my own, following a few steps of course. Once I logged in, I went to the company page noted above, clicked on “Edit Page” in the upper right portion of the screen below the “Home” link, which took me to the fan page settings section.

From here I clicked on “Basic Information” in the left side tabs and as you’ll see the first option is the “Category” fields and drop down menus. Facebook makes you believe you have the power to change and manipulate this information, but it’s impossible. If you’re following along with me, then go ahead and click on the first drop down menu and select any option. Now, click on the second drop down menu and you will see nothing but empty, boring, white space.

Why is this, Facebook? I can understand why you won’t allow the modification of the fan page Title, ours being crafted to ”/WhiteboardCreations”, as it dynamically creates a custom URL for us to help promote a shorter web address and build brand awareness, but why not the Category of the business. What if we grow to be much more than a “Local Business” and want to be seen as a specific service provider in a specific field or industry, like “Internet/Software”. At that point, it would be advantageous to be more targeted, yet not so generalized to be only considered “local”.

Unfortunately, as we found out, changing the “Category” for your Facebook fan page remains impossible… for now. In setting up various other Facebook fan pages for clients, we find that the “Professional Serviecs” and “Business Services” categories yeild the best fields to update with your relevant company information.

When setting up your Facebook fan page, be sure to select your Category of business wisely as if down the road you wish to change, you won’t be able to OR you will need to “Delete Page” and start a new.

Don’t get down on yourself if you are in our shoes. Another viable option is available, with which we have followed and submitted. We know we’re not the first to consider such a change, hence Facebook’s recent update of “Request for Page Category Review” (click here) process. This will allow you to submit a request for category review and repositioning. There is no option to select from a drop down menu as you once had when initially registering the page, however, enter in your choice for what you’d want the page Category to be labeled under with an explanation in the “Describe Category” field. We have heard businesses getting favorable results from this process and we expect the same. I will personally update this post once we have received word back from Facebook and the changes have been made.

Remember, this is certainly not a guarantee of any sort from myself, my company or even from Facebook. Approach this situation as a professional and treat it as a business decision where you are asking for permission, from a human to make a change. Be polite and simply state your case.

I hope you find this article useful. If so, please share across the social media platforms below and comment on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WhiteboardCreations. We’d love to hear from you, especially if you had any success or issues in the process.

What are Search Engine Optimization Dedicated Blogs?

When a blog is created and maintained with the primary purpose of search engine optimization at hand, it is referred to as a search engine optimization blog. These blogs are based on certain keywords and have posts revolving around those keywords. Moreover, they also have links placed within the blog from the point of view of search engine optimization. The main focus of these blogs is to optimize the website for search engines more than anything else like readership base etc.

Why have Search Engine Optimization Dedicated Blogs?

Search engine optimization dedicate blogs are a good tool from many perspectives. For one, such blogs give you the advantage of adding one more feather to your search engine optimization cap. Then having a blog on your website will make it more interactive and full as compared to a website without a blog at all. Other than that, your website keeps getting updated content regularly, which in turns makes it acquire brownie points with search engines. Then, if you write wisely, you can also create reader-useful content in your search engine optimization dedicated blog. This way it will not just be a mish-mash of keywords but will also offer valued content to the readers.

Search engine optimization dedicated blogs can help you fill in the missing links from your search engine optimization tools. They can be great at building your website rankings in the SERPs (Search Engine Ranking Pages) and getting your website where you want it to be in lesser time, when working in conjunction with other search engine optimization tools.

While it may sound like a tough job to some, it is not really difficult to create and maintain business blogs if you resolve to do it. 

1. Search & Evaluate business blogs on similar websites > Start by looking around for blogs maintained by similar businesses online. Look for the pluses and the minuses. Evaluate the blogs from across the web and choose what features do you want to include in your blog and which ones you don’t.

2. Add an Independent section for a small business blog to your website > Once you have your wish list in place, add a separate section to your website to start a blog. Most business websites come with a default blog option, but some may not. You can contact your web designer for that if you feel the need to.

3. Start writing blog articles on your business relevant topics > Kick start your now added small business blog by adding articles to it. Write articles that don’t only relate to your business topic but also help establishing you as an authority on the subject. This will further help your end result i.e. sales. And suppose you don’t feel up to the task of assuming the responsibility of writing blog posts, hire a blog writer.

4. Hire a business blogs writer > There are many internet companies and service providers who offer business blog writing services. You can opt to hire them, which will ensure high quality content.

5. Frequently Update Your blog > Make it a habit to update your small business blog regularly. When you hire a blog writer/company, they often also offer you the option for them to assume the responsibility to directly upload content to your blog.

By following these basic but very useful steps, you also can reap the benefits of a small business blog.

1. Understand the Internet Reading Style and Offer Easy Skimming > Internet reading happens differently than regular or offline reading. We rarely read full pages, instead we skim through them. Format your writing with different elements in a way that they are easy to scan.

2. Use the Right Words to Attract Attention > Using words like great, easy, quick, guarantee etc. can give your copy a real edge in the copy writers’ battle for attracting attention. Choose the right language and words and you have won half your battle.

3. Increase Attractiveness of Your SEO Copywriting by at Least 15% > Did you suddenly feel more interested in finding out HOW? The answer is: by using numbers and percentages. Numbers help give a believability factor to the SEO copy… Just make sure there is some source to back up your claim.

4. Organize Your SEO Copy with Headings and Sub-headings > Use headings and sub-headings to better organize your copy and use shocking headlines at that. Surprise the reader with a promise through your headline. And don’t forget to deliver on it as well.

5. Use Lists & Bullet Points > Write your copy in the form of a list or using bullet points. It is not only easier to skim through, but also provide the information to the reader much more quickly offering visual order.

6. Make Good Use of Formatting Tools > And no, we don’t mean any expensive software. All you have to do is make letters, phrases and sentences bold wherever needed and italic wherever you feel the need too.

7. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Great Visuals > When they say that a picture is worth a thousand words, pay heed to them. Use images, graphics and videos to express your SEO copywriting intent better. But always be careful to not violate any copyrights.

8. Make Use of Relevant Quotes > Use quotes to set your ideas apart or to link them together. Whichever way, it will be your seo copywriting that will gain.

Most of us know that the regular techniques for search engine optimization (SEO) include link building, keyword based website material, article submissions and so on. We also understand that content is very important and often handle it well in the form of website landing pages, other webpages, articles submitted to directories etc. however, one thing that many of us fail to pay attention to is the blog content writing within our own website.

You may yourseld, “Why is blog content writing important?”

There are many factors that make a blog so important for a website to score well within the search engines. For one, when your blog content is of high quality, it makes your website appear to be of high quality to search engines. Also, when you consistently add more content to your blog, search engines’ crawlers get in to the habit of constantly scanning your website, based on the premise that there may be more content added.

Blog content writing that is constantly updated provides a really good reason to make search engine spiders keep crawling your website. And that is something you don’t want to miss out. That’s because the better and keyword focused content that search engines will keep picking up, is going to eventually count towards your rankings within search engine result pages (SERPs).

The bottom line is that maintaining a blog with good quality, relevant and keyword rich content and updating it frequently is much more important than you think. It does not only bring you readers and keep bringing them back for more, it also helps your website rank better with the search engines.

Plan your Articles
Before you start writing an article, plan its content and flow. Do not write without having any starting and ending in mind already.

Give your Articles a Catchy Title
Start by giving an attention grabbing title to your write up. Set expectations right from the start. This way reader will know what they will exactly get out of the article they are going to read.

Write in Short Paragraphs
Sometimes when the article writing is done with never ending sentences and paragraphs, the meaningfulness gets lost somewhere in there. Try writing in shorter paragraphs and sentences so that the reader can keep track of the information provided.

Use Easy to Read Language
Using seemingly high profile, difficult language may qualify an article for article directories but will not generate the desired interest among general readers. If you want people to be truly interested in your article writing, let them easily understand what you want to say.

Offer Value in Your Articles
Readers are much more intelligent than you may think. They know exactly when an article is just trying to fool them by promising something and then not delivering it. Add value to your articles by offering information that your reader actually wants to get.

Be Consistent
Be consistent in your blog article writing. Make use of consistency in every way, be it the quality, the quantity or anything else. Do not disappoint your readers in anyway.

By following these 6 blog article writing tips, you can be the great and appreciated professional blog writer that you want!