Which Social Networks Do I Need Part 2

February 6, 2015
by Manik Shil

In part 1 of this blog, we discussed some of the major social networks you can use to drive traffic to your website and engage with the rest of the world wide web. Whereas before we spoke about the obvious Facebook, Twitter and Google+, this time we will focus on some of the social networks which are less frequently used by Utah SEO companies.

LinkedIn was one of the first social networks for businesses to hit the Internet. Believe it or not, LinkedIn still exists today! LinkedIn has one of the most user friendly interfaces of all the social networks. Every button is clearly labeled with words, rather than icons, so you know exactly what your mouse click will result in. There is no weird jargon like “Circles”, “Retweet” or “Secret Group”. LinkedIn is a simple way to display what is essentially your résumé. Since this social network is so old, it easily ranks high on a SERP when someone is looking for your name specifically.

Instagram

Instagram is a relatively new social network, which was bought by Facebook and thus easily integrates posted content. When you link your Instagram account to Facebook, everything is cross posted without any extra work from you. (Also integrates with Twitter and Tumblr.) Instagram is like a high school popularity contest. Since all of the content is photo driven, users are only looking for eye-candy. This is great for industries like fitness, art, home and garden and food, where you can easily create luscious looking images without too much extra effort. Instagram followers are die hards, much more than any Twitter followers.

Pinterest is a crucial marketing tool for many industries, from crafts, foods, home services, retail, and anything in between. Pinterest is also photo driven, to an extent. Any post will have just a picture to describe it. However, as a business, you can integrate Rich Pins, which is a way of coding your Pinterest board so that every post contains information like Google Map location, product pricing and recipe reviews. Upon clicking on the Pin, users are led to the site which the Pin came from.

YouTube

Optimizing video content is the next big push according to many career SEOs and web developers. Since videos keep users on a page longer, getting savvy with making, posting and optimizing them is crucial. Creating a YouTube channel lets users easily find your videos. Furthermore, having your YouTube channel host your video, while you also put it on your website, does not count as duplicate content, so that’s great! You can engage people in discussion which can also be a type of traffic baiting strategy when you do it with finesse.

Have fun with social networks. If you own a computer, you most likely spend quite a bit of time on them anyway.

SEO Utah

Social Media Marketing VS Email Marketing: Which is better?

January 31, 2015January 30, 2015

There are many disputes about whether email marketing is something of the past now being replaced by social media marketing. While social media marketing is critical to your business success in this day, studies have show that you shouldn’t give up on email marketing either. The number of people subscribed to your email newsletter list may not be as large as the people that your social media reaches however your newsletter subscribers are more invested in your business and will be more like to visit your site. Your email marketing also has a larger conversion rate than social media marketing. If you website is focused on sales than this is an important factor. Email marketing has a 30% greater conversion than social media.

When your readers opt-in to your email list there is a certain level of interest to your content, meaning they want to know about your products and services, specifically. This interest creates a better relationship with you and your readers. They are a little more invested in your business right from the start. Your email list becomes your target on demand source, they are much closer than social media audience.

Social media marketing is geared towards sharing your status and updates with followers. As your connecting with your readers social media marketing what you are writing is typically much shorter, short and sweet. It is generally less direct and a more entertaining approach. People who find you on social media are more like to stay on social media platforms.

In short, email marketing and social media marketing both have their place in your marketing strategy. Too many are willing to throw away email marketing because of their social media however both are very effective in what the do. If you are able to leverage the strength of email marketing as well as the popular social media marketing your campaigns will be that much more effective. If you are interested in tips and tricks on increasing your marketing strategy contact your SEO company to help formulate the best way to incorporate both email marketing along with your social media marketing.

SEO News

Which Social Networks Do I Need

January 24, 2015
by Manik Shil

You mean there are more than just Facebook? Yes of course! Not only is Twitter a huge player as far as social media marketing, but there are others you may have heard of too. Google+, Reddit, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube are all important avenues for your social media marketing efforts and, by extension, your SEO Utah efforts as well. Let us dive in and discover the benefits each of these social networks can have for your business.

Facebook

This is the go-to social network for almost any internet user. By having a presence on Facebook, you will ensure that you are not missed. Google bots most definitely take into account your website’s social media presence. While this is not technically a ranking factor, a strong and engaged social network following, particularly on Facebook, helps with your trust citations. Furthermore, you probably already have a Facebook page, so why not use it to your maximum?

Twitter

Many people, myself included, are wondering what is the point with Twitter? Facebook is way more fun because it shows the pictures and videos in my News Feed and I don’t have to click anything to see what the poster is talking about. Ah HAH. Did you say “click”? Yes, Twitter forces you to click to the link someone is posting about. In terms of traffic generation, this is absolute gold. Additionally, it is so easy to link your Facebook with your Twitter account. In this way, you can still use Facebook as your primary social networking tool, but all of your posts will get posted to Twitter, with no extra effort from you. You should definitely still log into Twitter periodically however. Engage yourself in other posts, and follow up with anything you have previously posted that may need attention.

Google+

Google+ can be a frustrating outlet. No one really engages with stuff that is posted on a Google+ page. It can feel a little lonely posting things with no interaction. Additionally, Google+ is not able to integrate with Facebook or Twitter, so you have to post everything to Google+ first. After that, you can integrate your posts to FB and Twitter. This is Google’s attempt to try and be your #1 social network. As annoying as all of this is, if you are a business owner you must participate with Google+. Your Google+ page is tied directly to you location on Google Maps. We all use Maps as our default directory when we are trying to get somewhere. If you don’t show up on Google Maps, you basically do not exist as a business. One of the ways to increase your rankings in a Google Maps search is to have the most popular page. This translates to: lots of followers, lots of posts, a well rounded profile and numerous reviews.

This is a site for anyone to post content which can have links. The cool thing about Reddit is that the actual users have the power to vote up or down a piece of content. So the users have the power when it comes to the rankings. Very empowering don’t you think? Reddit does not integrate with other social media tools, but you will be surprised at how engaging it is.

Part II: Coming Soon!

LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube

SEO Utah

Facebook Marketing tools that will increase your strategy

January 18, 2015

Facebook is one of the most well known and used social media websites online. How do you take advantage of Facebook in your marketing plan to help grow your business? Well it isn’t as hard as you might think, just a few simple steps will lead your marketing strategy into the right direction. If you focus on just a few of these in a month you will start noticing a change.

1. Fans – Facebook is all about how you connect with your fan. On you posts ask them questions, share your content or write content of their own on your Facebook page, or feature a fan of the month. Get your fans involved.

2. Events – Remember how Facebook is all about your fans, events are a fun and often innovative way to connect with your fans. Throw an online party or scavenger hunt, be informative by hosting a webinar or press conference just be creative.

3. Contest – Issue a fan challenge and award fans who are being interactive, offer a fan contest for sharing, host a video contest, or sponsor a contest for other companies or blogs.

4. Collaboration – Guest post on another page, review a colleagues’ product, host a blog tour and then integrate it, giving back to your fans and others in your niche will always pay off in the long run. Local companies are always great to work with like this company.

5. Ads – Using ads can be helpful if you target the right people, same interest, likes, locations, gender, etc. Including a call to action or video in your ad will set you apart from others and be more eye catching. Don’t just advertise your website, think about events your hosting, activities your participating in, or a new product line. You want your ad to set you apart. The use of QR codes are a great way to help your fans get to where you want them to go specifically. Send them straight to your products or event page so they don’t get lost in transition from one site to the other. QR codes are also great for store locations, virtual tours, or other product options.

SEO Utah

Best Keyword Research Tools for 2015

January 8, 2015
by Manik Shil

Keyword research is the basis for content optimization. Without well-organized keywords, it is difficult for search engines to understand what your site is about. SEOs use keywords in specific places that they know search robots are crawling. If you have the right keywords in the right places, your SEO efforts will have a higher chance of succeeding. Of course, for a successful SEO campaign, it is essential to address other important marketing factors. For this, it is best to hire an SEO Salt Lake City company that has the right tools and resources already in place in their infrastructure.

What Are Keywords?

Simply put, keywords are the things internet users are searching for. Keywords are the little search queries people put in the Google search bar. By inserting keywords into certain elements on your website, you make it easier for search engines to find your page. The more your page clearly matches the keywords a user has put in the search query, then your website will appear higher in search rankings. *Many websites use the same keywords. This is where other SEO factors come into play. But more on that some other time.

How To Find My Keywords

To start with, your keywords should match the topic of your website. For example, a great starting keyword idea for an ice cream shop site would be “ice cream shop”. This is a very broad keyword, so you would want to do more research and narrow down the niche for this keyword. There are bajillions of ice cream shops in the world, and you want to be listed in the first 10. This is where keyword research tools come in.

There are tons of keyword research tools available, most of them cost a monthly subscription. If you are not a full time SEO, it doesn’t make sense to pay for a subscription. Many tools offer trial periods or a limited version for free. My favorite keyword research tools are: MySEOTool, SEMrush, and Google Adwords Keyword Planner.

	MySEOTool	SEMrush	Adwords
Cost	33-500	80-150	per campaign
Trial Period?	30 days	10 queries / day with top 10 results	n/a
Analytics	yes	yes	yes
Backlinks	no	yes	no
Competition	yes	yes	yes

Each of these includes information on how competitive ranking for a particular keyword is going to be. It helps also, to have backlink information, which only SEMrush provides. SEMrush used to be just a keyword research tool (Wordtracker) and now it has expanded its suite of services. For the small business man, Adwords should be sufficient. It is free to search for keyword ideas suggested by Google and you can then implement the keywords into your meta data and other important SEO spots.

Mobile Marketing Utah

11 Social Media Marketing Strategies that really work

December 30, 2014

When marketing on your social media accounts it can be confusing. Knowing what to share, when to share, and what people are interested in can be a tricky process. Especially now when Facebook, Twitter and so many others have their own algorithm that decides when and what your friends or followers see. We have come up with 14 tested social media marketing strategies that are sure to help you in your social media marketing efforts.

Commitment. The first thing it takes is commitment. Social media marketing isn’t something that can be overlooked. It takes time and effort but is well worth it in the end.
Position yourself to be an expert. If you are sharing information that isn’t of value no one will listen. No one wants to listen to someone who doesn’t know what they are talking about. So become an expert in your area and offer advise to your followers.
Make it Meaningful. If you aren’t talking about anything meaningful, then again, no one is going to listen. Make sure what you are contributing is relevant to your audience.
Quantity isn’t Quality. Keep it simple. Offer small morsels of advice or tips instead of rambling on.
Be yourself. No one likes people who only talk about themselves. Instead be authentic. Show your followers your personality by drawing on past experiences and humor.
Make conversations. Your social media outlets are a two way street. Give your audience opportunity to talk back, share their experiences, etc.
Build relationships. When you comment on your audiences views or opinions that they have shared with you then you can build that relationship of trust.
Stay informed. What is popular today many not be popular tomorrow. Staying up on trends will help you be the go to person in your industry.
Use multimedia. A picture is worth a thousand words so share photos, videos, etc. to get your message across.
Patience is crucial. Social Media success isn’t going to happen overnight. It takes time to cultivate.
Consider being a blogger. Most social media leaders maintain a blog too. Social media is the outlet to market their new blog posts and ideas. Consider starting a blog to boost your ROI.

Social media campaigns can be successful if you market it the right way. Make sure you are taking all of these tips into consideration when you are creating your social marketing plan. If you are in need of help creating a social media plan or looking for a virtual assistant to help you execute your plan a local utah seo company can help you. They have all the skills and knowledge to point you in the right direction or to take over your entire social media marketing campaign and make it work for you.

SEO News

Factors that increase your SEO ranking

December 13, 2014

When you go to a search engine and search for a keyword that you are targeting there are many factors that go into where your website ranks. Some think that if they just make a website people will find them. Many who don’t understand SEO or search engine optimization don’t realize all the “behind the scene” work that is done. We have put together a list of things for you to do that will increase your rankings. By understanding how basic search engine optimization works you will be able to get your website ranking on the first page of many search engines.

URL FACTORS

Let’s first start with your url. Having search engine friendly urls is critical in helping your ranking. This means that you would have a url that looks like www.yourdomain.com/seo-company instead of www.yourdomain.com/02dksiil_ji%20 as you can see one url makes sense. You understand what the page is about just by the url. The second one could be about really anything. There is nothing there that tells us what the page is even about.

The second thing to look at when it comes to urls is the site structure. If you are selling something you would want your url to look something like this www.yourdomain.com/products/pay-per-click-advertising. From this url you can see that we have our main domain, then you are looking at the products we offer and then pay per click advertising. Your url should be a breadcrumb trail of where your user has been.

The last thing that we look at when it comes to the factors that urls have on your ranking is the life span of your domain name. Domains that are brand new will ranking lower than those domains that are 5 years old. Take that into consideration when looking at your rankings.

ON PAGE FACTORS

There are three things to watch for when you are doing your on page search engine optimization. Search engines look for content relevance. If the keywords you are targeting are “utah seo company” then your content should be about a utah seo company or seo services. Make sure that you are using meta tags with your targeted keywords as well as watch your keyword density. It used to be that if you wrote “seo company” a hundred times on a page that your site would rank high for that term. The new search engine algorithms are more sophisticated and this is no longer the case. Make sure you aren’t “keyword stuffing” and putting your targeted keywords more than is natural.

OFF PAGE FACTORS

This is the meat of your search engine optimization. Once you have all of your on page seo done, search engine friendly urls the next step is to work on your off page seo. This is a job that is never done. Many people hire an seo company to take over this part for them since it is labor intensive. The main factors that go into off page seo is inbound links for directories, blogs, other websites, social media, etc. Getting links from high quality sources will dramatically increase your search engine ranking. The more links you have, the more people will be talking about you, and the more your brand is going to be recognized.

SEO Utah

3 SEO tips to increase your Google ranking

November 26, 2014

So you want to increase your Google ranking but you are not sure where to start? Well here are a few tips that will help you determine how to increase your ranking by tweaking your site just a little bit. The first thing that you can do to increase your Google ranking is to check the speed of your site. Every page should load within 1-2 seconds (if not faster). Back in 2010 Google announced that they would take speed into consideration to increase customer satisfaction and profits across the board.

Second, your website needs to be up-to-date ALWAYS. Having fresh content makes it so that your readers will stay on your page longer and are more likely to share it on social media sites. This is what makes blogging so popular because bloggers are constantly adding new content. When your website is stagnant not only will readers get board because they have seen it before but Google recognizes that people aren’t staying on your site and will drop your ratings.

Third, and probably one of the most important in our day is to make sure your site is responsive, compatible with mobile devices. Wither it be for a mobile device, tablet, laptop, or desktop you want to have your readers have a good experience. Responsive websites are the way to go. If you don’t have a responsive site it will be worth the effort to switch it over. With the number of mobile devices accessing the internet growing everyday verse laptops or desktops, Google ranking will look at your reader’s mobile experience; bounce rate, etc. to determine your ranking.

Remember that your Google ranking isn’t going to change overnight. Following these tips and many others you can find here, your ranking will increase, it may take months to change your ranking but with a little bit of patience and constant updating you will begin to see improvements.

Uncategorized

Become Successful By Using Better Reputation Management

November 18, 2014May 30, 2018
by Brad Shelton

Become Successful By Using Better Reputation Management

Good business reputation management is an important aspect of growing a business. The business world is very competitive. If a company gets a bad reputation, a customer can easily go to someone else. A company can lose business permanently when that happens. Read the following article to learn how you can manage your business reputation effectively.

To help increase your online presence consider using social media. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn will help you build business presence both online and offline. To use social media effectively you must post statuses regularly. When posting information through a social media website, use keywords, and give your readers information that they actually need.

Check on your customers after the sale. This is even more true if your business is larger in size. Your customers want to feel they are important to you. Use automated systems which can check in with them. Make sure you ask them to report in on their recent purchase experiences as well.

Host contests to help bolster your reputation. This is especially important if you have received a bad review. A contest will create a lot of positive information about your company which can help increase your company’s exposure online. This technique will also help raise your page rank on Internet search engines.

Have a trustworthy, friendly and professional sign. Just like many folks judge a book by its cover, a business is also judged by its sign. Get your professional sign from a sign shop Murray.

Be transparent. Some companies have been accused of removing complaints from their website. Don’t be like them. Instead, quickly answer the complaints and state on your website how you will remedy the complaint. Once the complaint is resolved, ask your customer to post on your site that the complaint was resolved and how long it took to resolve the complaint.

Try using a social network like LinkedIn to help your reputation management. This social network can rank a bit higher than some of the other ones. It is also an important tool for B2B companies. This is because many people like to search for professional services on LinkedIn instead of the search engines.

Try Googling yourself to see what type of information comes up about you. If there is a lot of negative feedback, you can use this to better yourself. In the event that you notice any discrepancies, you should do your best to correct them. You wouldn’t want any misinformation to damage your reputation.

Write articles on other sites for a better online business reputation. This can help many people see you as a professional. End your articles with your name, company, and a link back to your website. Where you write will depend on the purpose of your business, your niche, and your target audience. Try to keep the content as relevant to these items as possible.

Some people are simply impossible to please reasonably. If you believe your customer has a irrelevant or untruthful complaint, do what you can to make them happy. As a business owner, sometimes you have to suck up your pride and think about how your customer or client is always right.

The image of your company is a valuable asset. When your business has a good reputation, people will recommend you to their friends and family. Your customer base will grow, and your company can become more profitable. Therefore, spend time to learn good reputation management. It will make your company more profitable.

Mobile Marketing Utah

3 Inovative Ways to increase your Facebook Following

November 15, 2014

Facebook is a marketing jungle. When Facebook was first introduced many people saw it as a way for people to just stay connected with friends from high school. In the recent years Facebook has turned into a marketing genius. Businesses are staying connected with their customers. It’s an amazing way for customers to return to businesses because of the connections that are made. So if you are a business, how do you get or increase your Facebook followers? Here are 3 tips.

Use big images. The perfect aspect ratio for your images on Facebook is 400px x 209px. When you use images people are more likely to share your content and like your posts. The best ratio size will make the user experience for mobile and desktop easier.
Share posts from other Facebook pages that are in your niche. Not only does this help increase your shares, but it will give your Facebook page more authority.
Add the Facebook share button to your website. Make it easier for you customers to share your content by adding the share button to your content. You can put the Facebook share button at the top and the bottom of the page.

Try using these three tips to increase your Facebook followers. For more information or other great ideas click here.