Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is a process for trying to get your website as high as you can on the "natural" search part of the search engine. Although all of Unscribbled site's include metatag usage and should be searchable. An SEO service is a specialized service that is more intensive than just the creation of a website.
The parameters that search engines are looking at to rank your site are constantly changing. That is why we work closely with you and our business partner, Nicsys, to create an SEO plan that will work for you.
Once we decide on what keywords we want to focus on we turn it over to Nicsys. They evaluate tags, page titles, content, page links, link exchanges, and page descriptions to name a few parts of the processes. They would then offer suggestions and make the applicable modifications in accordance with your approval.
Once the site is optimized and submitted to the search engines, we would wait the 3-8 weeks to see the initial results. Then it becomes a somewhat daily process of tweaking and manipulating in an effort to ensure your listings remain high.
The reason we work with Nicsys, and Nicsys only for SEO is once everything is set up you only pay if they get you results. We have encountered several other companies that charge on average $3,000 a month with no gaurantee of results.
Pay-Per-Click (Google Campaign)
Although the search engine can be unpredictable with the natural search results and it can take several months to move up the ranking, pay-per-click campaigns can get you noticed right away.
A pay-per-click campaign gets you listed in the search engine's "sponsored" results. You pay only if someone clicks on your ad and goes to your site.
You can set up a campaign that targets the world, the United States, or your particular city. You can set a daily budget so charges don't go above what you budget.
This is something you can maintain yourself, or we would be happy to help you set it all up. From evaluating the proper keywords for your business, creating ads, and deciding on the market - whichever part you need assistance with we would be happy to help with.
If you are doing a local campaign, keep in mind ...Is Your Localized PPC Campaign REALLY working?
Social Networking/Media
Social Networking/Media is all about communicating and creating relationships with one another online - photos, thoughts, videos, what you are up to and into. It can be a great way to keep in touch wth people you know, and to let people know about new developments in your personal or business life. If you are a consultant, writer, actor, or doing ANY kind of personal branding you should be trying to reach as many people as you can through social networks. You can find any niche that is appropriate for your interests, but some of the big ones include:
Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Myspace
del.icio.us, Digg, Yelp, Flickr, Twitter
Internet Newsletters
This can be a great way to stay in touch with your existing clients - educate them, let them know about special offers, and..... remind them you exist. Services like MyEmma make it easy for just about anyone to create an attractive internet newsletter. Other services are available, but can require more graphic/web experience. As always, whichever part of setting up your internet newsletter you need assisstance with we would be happy to help with.
Some quick advice for setting up your newsletter:
Make sure the content is worthwhile. If you send them crap, they will stop reading you. Make sure you send them CONTENT, not just constantly trying to sell them something. Educational based marketing is the way to go! If you are not establishing yourself as the expert in whatever area you are in, they will look elsewhere and buy ONLY because of a low price. And we all know competing on price will not get any of us anywhere. Give them so much value that they don't want to go anywhere else, even if it is cheaper.
Don't put the entire article on the newsletter. Put only the start of the article on the newsletter and put a link to the entire article, which is on your website. THAT is what you want. The viewer on your website seeing all that you offer.
I do NOT advice sending it to them anytime between Friday and Monday. They will get back to their office on Monday, be swamped with emails and will probably delete it. I like to send it out on a Thursday at about 3:30-4:00. They are probably bored at work and looking for a distraction.
Keep true to your branding - talk to your graphic designer to make sure the look and tone are staying consistant with your existng marketing. You should be planning how your newsletter ties into your website. (And how your website ties into your ads, for that matter.)
Most email-marketing services offer tracking to see who has clicked on what. Another good reason to put links to things - that way you can see what they are interested in and include more of that later.
Send it out through a service like MyEmma, otherwise you can get in trouble for not having the option to opt out of receiving them. AND make sure people have asked to be on your list. Otherwise you can get in trouble.
They say it takes 7 times of someone seeing your name for them to remember who you are. I'm not so sure about that statement. BUT I will say have a consistent timeline for when you send things to people. Every month, every other month, etc. Personally I think a weekly is a bit obnoxious UNLESS it has so much good content that I look forward to it. I would plan it out so that you ONLY send them something when you have something worthwhile to say. (Again, see #1)
I've noticed that most viewers of the website don't seem to click on the things that looks like ads. They do click on articles though.
Personalize the message. If you send the email based on your database you can easily send your message to "Hi Sam," versus "Dear Customer," - who wants to be treated mearly as a "custmer" anyway?
Blogs
"Blog" is short for "web log" - a sites that functions as an online journal intended for general public consumption - populated with the site owner's personal opinions. When used well by businesses it can function much like a newletter education your clients on information about your business and your thoughts/advice about your industry.
If you decide to do a business blog some thing to keep in mind include:
Update it often! At the least once a week. And try to do it at a regularly scheduled interval, so your fans know when to come back for more. If you can not update it at least once a week, I would suggest you consider article submissions or info-sites instead.
Don't make it too personal. Don't use this as a place to air your personal greivances.
There are several free online service that you can link to from your site.
Article Submissions
This is a great alternative to blogging and can get a lot of links back to your site (which can help with your SEO). By submitting articles, publishers can post your article. Make sure you get a link back to your site, otherwise it won't do you much good. And as always, make sure you are writing good content.
<shameless promotion>
Insights and Lessons, is an Unscribbled project, allows you to submit an insight or a lesson on your area of expertise and get:
- the credit for it (establishing yourself as the expert in your field),
- a free ad on all your submitted articles,
- a personal page about you
- and a link back to your site.
Ever Googled yourself? Well this can be a great way for you to help determine what comes up when people put your name in the search engines.
<end of shameless promotion> ;o)
Info Sites
This is different from your main website. Your main website is all about your business - an info-site is all about your industry and what info your potential clients are looking for.
For example, if your business sells cooking utensils, your website probably tells people about your products, your pricing, and how they can order from you. An info site is a site that appeals to your target demographic. It might be a site called bakingforbeginners.com and have recipes and advice on how to bake the best bundt cake in the world..... of course alongside that article is an ad for your cooking utensils.
Info sites can give you the benefits of a blog by establish you as an expert in your industry. (And as that expert, people are more likely to listen to your recommendations.) But they do not have the pressure for you to be on a schedule for updating them.
<shameless promotion>
Find out about a very affordable way to create an info-site of your own at Insights and Lessons info-sites. (These were created after seeing a need for our clients.)
<end of shameless promotion> ;o)
Micro Sites
This is also different from your main website. Again, your main website is all about your business - a micro site is a niche site. It could be about a particular product of yours, instead of all the products you sell.
To keep with our example, if your business sells cooking utensils, this site might be all about 1 particular widget. All of the pages on the site are about that widget. And of course there is a link back to your main site - which helps you with that SEO stuff.
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