Website Development, Website Design, Website Hosting, eCommerce and Search Engine Optimization in Bigfork, Montana

Archive for the ‘Search Engine Optimization (SEO)’ Category

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Why is My Google Listing Wrong?

Monday, November 16th, 2009

A client with a new website recently contacted me with a question that frequently confuses many. When she typed her company search terms in Google, her business not only showed up in the natural listings, it also showed at the top of the page, with other like businesses in the Bigfork area, next to a map. Unfortunately, the information displayed when she clicked on that listing was incorrect.

This is a common question, and easy to fix. In fact, as a business owner you should check this yourself and see if your business info is correct!

(more…)

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Writing & Formatting Web Content

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

Writing for the web is different than writing for print. Web users are in a hurry and prefer to scan pages and digest smaller amounts of information.

Here are 10 best practices for writing and formatting content for the web:

  1. Use Upside-Down Pyramid Style
    Just like newspaper writing, add the most important info up top because there is a good chance readers will not read the whole page.
  2. Keep Content Concise
    Web users are impatient so get to the point!
  3. Use Simple Language
    Because users are scanning your pages in a quick manner, unnecessary jargon and uncommon vocabulary can slow the user down or even turn them away. Also remember you have a large audience of various education levels, so it is best to keep language simple for all to enjoy. (more…)

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Natural Search Engine Optimization Vs. Paid Optimization

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

Natural Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or Organic Search Engine Optimization are words you’re probably hearing quite often these days.  We receive a lot questions about SEO and natural (or organic) versus paid options.   So we decided it would be great to clarify these two different and complementary methods of SEO to help you better understand what it all means. (more…)

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Press Releases: What Happens After Submission (PART III)

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

You’ve created an appealing release about your original glow-in-the-dark red bucket and submitted it to a variety of relevant media outlets.  Now you need to be prepared for speaking directly to the media.

Although this is the last part of our three part press release for search engine optimization series, this isn’t the last item on your list.  It’s imperative you prepare your statements to the media before you send it out.  You may receive phone calls, emails and in-person interviews in front of a video camera.  You must be prepared! (more…)

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Press Releases: How to Distribute for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) PART II

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

In our first post, we discussed why a press release can help with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and the basics of how to write a press release.  In Part 2, we will discuss how to distribute your press release.  Part 3 will talk about what happens after your press release is sent and how to prepare for media inquiries.

Now that you have written a press release or had a professional write it for you, it is time to distribute it.  Below are a few tips for how to properly distribute your press release: (more…)

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Press Releases: How they help with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Part 1

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

You’re a business owner with a great website. You sell your product online and your objective is to increase online sales. How do you go about this without breaking the bank? One part of your strategy… write and distribute an optimized, electronic press release.

What exactly is a press release?

One definition from Dictionary.com defines press release as “a statement prepared and distributed to the press by a public relations firm, governmental agency, etc.”1 It’s also defined as “An announcement of an event, performance, or other newsworthy item that is issued to the press.”2 (more…)

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Is Your Website Color Conscious?

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

The main purpose of your website is to convey information, whether that is the service you provide, office hours or price of your products. If a visitor can’t read or find the information then the website isn’t doing its job.

I have no visual impairment, so theoretically I should be able to read all content on the web. However, I find—and I’m sure other frequent web users notice—that there are some color combinations that you can barely glance at before your eyes scream at you to look away.

Multi-colored neon-text is especially difficult for me to read ( Neon Green Example). There just isn’t enough contrast between the text and the background for easy reading. If I squint I can read the colored text in the parentheses, but can you imagine having to read a whole page in this color. You can do it given time, but you certainly can’t scan through the text as easily as if it were black text on a white background. (more…)

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Beware of SEO Spam

Monday, February 9th, 2009

Anyone with an email account has received spam at one point or another; whether it be from Nigerian Princes in need of economic assistance or an add trying to sell you medication. Generally spam is easy to identify, but occasionally an email will filter through that might convince you it’s legitimate. However, you should be wary of any unsolicited emails in your inbox. (more…)

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Avoiding Blacklisting while Maintaining Good SEO Policies

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

Google is currently the most popular search engine in use (responsible for over 60% of web searches [1]). This means the amount of traffic your website gets largely depends upon your Google rank.

In order to improve their rank, many websites look into Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is the practice of structuring a website to increase its visibility to search engines. Keeping SEO in mind while building your website can improve your rank as well as improve the general user experience on your website. Many of the things a Search Engine is looking for—from well structured content highlighting keywords and phrases, clearly defined text links, and the use of header tags—will make it easier for users to scan through your page and find what they are looking for as well. Good SEO tends to overlap with W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines which means increased accessibility to people with disabilities [2]. (more…)

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How does a search engine work?

Friday, November 21st, 2008

One of the most common questions posed by website owners is, “Why doesn’t my site come up on Google yet?” We all know it’s important to appear in search engine results, and everyone wants it to happen right away. Understanding how a search engine actually works is the first step towards understanding what can get your website to “show up” in the  results.

Search engines are special websites that exist to help people find information available on the hundreds of millions of other sites on the World Wide Web. There are differences in the ways various search engines work, but they all perform three basic tasks: (more…)

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