Using the site http://www.fidelityadviser.com/ as an example, searchers can see in the image below that it currently appears number two for the phrase “fidelity newsletter”. However, when conducting a search for the plural version the sites appears #1 in Google.

Now there are many reasons why this can occur, but lets take a look at the two most basic aspects that determine a website’s rankings in the search engines results pages: 1.) The on-page content and 2.) References that point to the website. Generally, the keyword density of a page is a vastly overused term that has little meaning. However, in this particular case the Fidelity Independent Adviser uses the singular phrase, Fidelity newsletter, only one time. When attempting to reach the top of the search results for a particular phrase it is generally advisable to include that phrase at least once within the text of the page. The other and much more meaningful component is the number of references pointing to the site that use Fidelity newsletter. The top listing has multiple outside sources and other websites that utilize this phrase, whereas Don Dion’s newsletter has a relatively smaller number. Essentially, the more references a website has from trusted resources with the targeted phrase than the more likely it will appear for that phrase. Thus this case study in and of itself might alter the site’s positioning in the SERPS.

To learn more about how keyword variations can impact your website and the tactics that professionals employ, please continue browsing our Blog or share this post with a friend. There is a wealth of information available on the internet and if you still have questions then please feel free to give us a call at 1-877-SEO-1169.

Constant Flux

There Google SERPS are changing constantly. However, at certain points in time they change more dramatically than others for all websites or a particular website. The reasons can vary dramatically, but typically there are a few common rules that cause any particularly site to fluctuate in the search engine rankings, while other websites appear untouched.

The Website is Newer

Oftentimes a website will change position more frequently during its first two years of existing on the internet. This is not the same as the Google Sandbox, but it is fairly typical to see. The primary reason driving this is that newer websites tend to undergo a larger percentage of changes than existing website. Links originally purchased to help a website might loose some of their value. Since a newer website often has fewer links than a long standing one these changes tend to have a larger impact.

Many Recent Changes

Multiple changes to a website either on the page itself or recent addition of links can cause a change in the search engine rankings. Again this tends to be more prominent with newer sites for the reasons listed earlier, but still impacts even older sites if enough changes are made. Sometimes this is simply unavoidable. However, the best method to minimize such impacts is to rollout changes in phases.

Unexplained Jumps or Declines in the SERPS

Google and the other major search engines are not perfect. When investing time and money in an SEO campaign it is important to realize this. Temporary abnormalities will occur regardless of anything done. The best and hardest thing to do in this situation is just sit tight and keep on the same path as before. Wait a couple weeks; I realize this can result in lost sales now, but dramatically changing a strategy will generally result in a larger number of lost sales in the long run.

Increased SEO Competition

No matter how much work is done on your own site. A company cannot control what other business owners decide to do with theirs. If a topic becomes more popular and profitable then one should expect more players to enter the market and an overall increase in the competitiveness of obtaining and maintaining top search engines rankings. There is nothing you can do to prevent this, but you can take steps to ensure more resources are allocated as needed.

It Will All Work Out

The best single piece of advice I can give anyone is that it will all work out positively if your company follows Google’s TOS. Treat these terms as the bible and do not anger the Google gods. If a website’s SEM efforts follow the guidelines listed under best practices then over the long haul your company will reap the rewards. This is true whether focusing on a regional, national, or international audience.

There are a few quick tests one can perform to see if a site is still in the Sandbox. One simple test is simply to type the name of the website into Google. If it does not appear at the top of the SERPS and it is a new site than the website is likely still in the sandbox. A better and more conclusive test is to select a competitive keyword phrase that you wished your site to show up under. Then type in the following: allinanchor:the competive phrase; then type in only: the competitive phrase. If the website appears for the first search but not the second then it is likely in the Google sandbox. On the other hand, if it appears for neither, than I would suggest that at a minimum you consult with a professional local or international SEM company. If already hired an SEO company and gave them a decent interval of time to deliver as promised, you may wish to ask them what is going or listen to the opinion of another.

This brings us to the tile of the, the value of a seasoned domain. You should now have an idea on why a domain that is seasoned and aged has value; it is no longer in the Google sandbox! Now is the solution as simple as buying a domain that already exists and placing your website on it? Not quite, this is certainly an excellent idea and possible first step, but there are many other considerations to take into account. One such consideration is whether the older domain has links pointing to it and where those links are located.

The bottom line is that a seasoned domain has value and can have an impact in a successful SEO campaign; particularly for business that are just starting out and desire faster placement within the SERPS. I strongly advice those who read this do not simply go out and but an existing domain as an effort to bypass the Google sandbox. It is easy to end up overpaying for such a domain or purchasing one that will not add much value to any internet marketing efforts. I encourage our readers to feel free to add your suggestions and advice to the comments on this article.

PayPal 

PayPal tends to be easier and less expensive for new business owners, but watch out. There are a number of horror stories out there and many people have lost the whole balance in their account, which can cost more than any processing fees. Still many people elect to go with this processor. Those who do should heed this warning. The costs associated with a PayPal business account are vary depending upon the payment method the buyer users. To received payments from individuals within the United States the first $10,000 in sales costs $310.

2CeckOut 

This is an expensive method to process payments and not one I suggest as my first choice. There is a one time fee of $49 and then charges of 5.5 percent plus 45 cents per transaction. Using the parameters above the first $10,000 in orders would cost a company $689. Not a small amount of money in absolute or percentage terms. The upside to this process is that they accept virtually any business and it is a fast way to start selling goods or services.

Authorize.net 

To use Authorize.net you have to go through a reseller, a list of which is found on their website. Fees vary depending upon the reseller, but typically this processor offers the lowest fees and most security. The setup process can take slightly longer, but once that is done it is smooth sailing. Typically money received is swept from the merchant account and deposited into your checking account with a few business days.

SEO and Payment Processors

Now how does this tie into SEO? Quite simply a well chosen payment provider can easily provide the savings needed to launch a search engine marketing campaign. Why spend more than you have to for the same basic service? At least that is Agilis Marketing’s point of view.

Research the company / site owner.

The owner of Graphic SEO is Joseph Alvini, a college student, who has no staff. The only alleged “expert” at the firm is himself. When hiring a firm, my suggestion is to find out more about the company’s owner. Is it a one man shop? Is the owner of that shop an actual expert or simply a self purported one? Before plunking down any kind of money with a firm do your homework.

Is the company a legal entity?

Check with the company’s city to see if it is actually a registered business. For instance, Graphic SEO currently has no business license and is operating illegally. There are plenty of legitimate companies out there. Do not waste time with one that does not even take the time to operate legally. Trust is essential in life and business. I find it difficult to trust any person or company that is operating without going through the proper channels.

Does the website have a phone number?

All reputable websites should have a contact telephone number. It is an indication that they care about customer service. Longer standing companies tend to have a toll free number to further prove their commitment to customer service. I am always weary if no contact number is prominently displayed or upon calling it nobody answers. The SEM industry is convoluted and confusing. Ensure you are dealing with a company that cares enough about their customers to actually speak with them.

There are of course many other common sense suggestions before conducting business with a firm. My hope is that this helps people save a few dollars and prospective clients steer clear of businesses, such as Graphic SEO, that are operating illegally and with little genuine concern for their clients. There are many excellent local and international search engine marketing companies that exist. Please simply be careful before sending one money.

As with much of the information regarding SEO and the value of links from other pages there conflicting information throughout the internet. Sorting the fact from the fiction can be a difficult process. While this is posed to me as a short question there is an extremely complex and ever changing answer. 

The bottom line is that with all search engines and the manner in which links are valued is largely determined by the perceived quality of the link. It is certainly true that Google values sitewide links differently than links placed only in one location on the page. A common misconception is that sitewide links can hurt a website. The reality is simply that sitewide links do not help a website. Typically, credit or link juice is received for the first link on the site, but the remainders of the links are generally ignored by Google. This is especially true when the links all have identical anchor texts and surrounding content. Yahoo and MSN value sitewide links differently. As of now, a sitewide link can be an extremely valuable asset and can increase a website’s position in the search engine results pages. However, it would come as no surprise if this changed in the future and the other engines adopted a strategy similar to Google with regards to link valuation.

As for the question on whether links within the content are more valuable than those outside the main body of the text, the answer is resounding yes. Links contained within relevant body text typically carry a much heavier weighting than those that are located within the footer navigations or the sidebars of the page. The rationale behind this is quite simple. If the webmaster finds the resource (website) valuable enough than the link will likely be posted in the primary content area rather than along the footer or another place where visitors are less likely to actually visit the site. 

Of course besides this, there are many other factors that influence the value and importance of certain links more than others. A well formulated SEO campaign ensure that there is a wide selection of all different types of links and looks at many other considerations such as the authority of the site that the link comes from.

I wanted to thank my colleague who originally posed the question. Hopefully I answered your questions. With any luck others will be able to find this post and also gain a better understanding of the value of links in a SEM or SEO campaign.

As a case study let’s take a look at the largest vacation destination in the world, Orlando and a company that caters to its visitors. It might surprise a few people to hear that this Florida spot is the number one travel destination in the Globe, but it is true. Throughout the year, people from all across the Globe stay in Orlando hotels to visit Walt Disney World and the other major theme parks. The climate is ideal most of the season and the city is also a major convention area.

Previously the top search results were dominated by booking engines that search a wide array of properties. Only a few days ago www.orlandovacationhotels.com ranked near the top of the search results for the highly competitive and coveted phrase “Orlando Hotels”. As of this morning, the site is now located at the bottom of Page 1 in Google. Instead there are multiple other sites owned by the Wyndham and the Marriot that are appearing above this company’s site. While these results are likely nothing more than a temporary fluke, during the time Google is making internal changes to the way it displays search results, it is still a temporary disservice to searchers who rely on Google for results and guidance.

Usually, people searching for a general phrase, such as Orlando hotels, are looking for a plethora of options rather than viewing a specific hotel’s website. Users are looking for choices and suggestions not specific properties. I am certain Google realizes this and in a short time everything will return to “normal”, but it does not take away the fact the users are deprived of finding vacation booking engines such as the Orlando Hotels site mentioned earlier.

Putting aside my views of injustice for a moment, the bottom line is that Google wants to help its users and soon enough www.orlandovacationhotels.com will return back to the top of the search results for one its key phrases. Search engine marketing is tough, no doubt about that. That is why most companies in competitive industries hire professional SEO companies. I suspect you will see an ever growing number of marketing firms popping up wanting to help both booking engines and the larger hotel chains appear at the top of the rankings.

While there are many reasons why this is the case, I wanted to provide a little insight into a few factors a smart SEO company will look at before doing business with an established organization. The Google Sandbox, the number and type of inbound links, and the size of the website are a few of the considerations to factor.

Luckily, few established companies have much to worry about when it comes to the Google Sandbox. This term is used to describe a penalty placed on a brand new website that prevents it from appearing in the search results until at least a few months after a link first points to the domain. The rationale is that there are thousands of domains that are purchased each year and only a fraction of them are still around the following one. Therefore until a site can establish that it is a meaningful resource, which is also likely to stay around in the future, Google, Yahoo, and a few of the other major search engines will not even list it in their search results. The reason is quite simple. Why list information from a site that is not yet established when similar information from a business that has already existed is readily available?

Inbound links from external sites pointing to a domain is another factor in an SEM campaign. Google uses links as a form of voting and typically the larger number of relevant links a website has pointing to it then the higher it will appear in the search results. An established company tends to have a larger quantity of inbound links simply because the business started awhile ago. However, oftentimes the links are not ones that are going to help the website appear at the top of the search results. For instance, a link that contains only a company’s name is unlikely to help it appear at the top of the search results for a keyword phrase that relates to the products or services it sells. When starting a search engine optimization campaign with an established business a key component is acquiring relevant links that point to a company’s website.

The size of a website is also a key consideration. Picture a website as a large building. If it has an excellent foundation then it will typically stand for many years to come. Unfortunately, websites built a decade ago, usually have an outdated foundation than those built yesterday and this is one area that puts an established business at a disadvantage to a brand new website. It is much easier to build a foundation from scratch than to rebuild one after there are thousands of web pages built on a site from that uses technology from a decade ago. Therefore one of the most time consuming and difficult components with an existing website is rebuilding a foundation that takes into account the changes in the search landscape that took place over the past decade. This is especially true of websites that have thousands of products or pages.

SEO or SEM is never an easy process and there are different issues to address with each website. One such issue is the length of time the company first went online. Depending upon the website, this can make starting or properly continuing an internet marketing effort much easier or exponentially more difficult.

The most common way to track such a campaign is to establish a baseline. A standstill is placed on other forms of marketing, such as SEO efforts and Pay Per Click advertisements. Please note that a standstill does not mean a company should stop their efforts, but simply stop increasing the investments on any of their other current strategies. A baseline growth rate based upon historical performance is then established. Developing a baseline, as outlined above, is one of the most effective and common methods to track an internet buzz campaign. Unfortunately it is not the most practical method since it is not feasible for most companies to place all their other marketing investments and initiatives at a standstill.

Therefore the most practical and more complex method involves creating projected traffic and sales estimates. For example, if a company reasonably ascertains that sales from their other marketing efforts will increase by 17 percent in the next two months then a firm can establish a new baseline based upon this projection. Social marketing initiatives are then compared to this estimated baseline. For instance a company who sees a 45 percent jump in sales over the two month period could then attribute 28 percent of that growth to the buzz campaign.

Social marketing campaigns that create a buzz in both the online and offline communities can be one of the most cost efficient and cost effective forms of advertising if done properly with the assistance of a company that has a track record of success. However they can also be one of the most difficult forms of advertising to measure. The strategies described above are the ones typically used by both small and large companies alike that make tracking the success of such a campaign easier.

Rather than typing in a search string such as, Baja real estate, adding “allinanchor: [keyword phrases]” before the search string will provide a glimpse into the future search results for a particular keyword phrase. For example the search query allinanchor: Baja real estate will show the search results in order of webpages that Google considers to have the most valuable links pointing to it. But why does this predict the future?

Typically, this is an indicator of future results since Google places a large emphasis on the quality of links pointing to a webpage and there can be a time delay before the value of newly acquired links are recognized in the SERP’s (search engine results pages). Using the same example a regular search for Baja real estate will show the webpage http://www.bajaonlinerealty.com in the 45^th position. However, the search allinanchor: Baja real estate will show the site appears in the 36^th position. Often it is only a matter of time before the regular search results show a larger similarity to that of the allinanchor search listings. 

This query makes it possible to predict which pages will start to move up and appear in the top 10 search engine rankings. By the time many people read this, the aforementioned website may already appear in position 36 on Google or even higher up in the search results. In fact this article will helps the website achieve a top 10 ranking for the phrase “Baja Real Estate” since there is a link pointing to the site. Since this site has served as an example, I will further help its quest for top rankings.

I encourage all those looking for Baja real estate to take a look at their homepage before purchasing property. That simple sentence a along with the fact that it includes a links pointing to the sites homepage will further improve the sites allinanchor and regular search rankings. In fact, it would not come as a huge shock if the website already has a top 10 search engine ranking in Google by the time most people read this post. 

Luckily, even though this holiday period is nearing its conclusion, there is a never ending stream of holidays and months when retailers can generate markedly higher sales. As smart business owners already know, one key to successfully sell products online is to plan for the busy seasons far in advance of when it occurs. Typically the online retailers that sell the most also prepare the most. While, companies can obtain information on the effectiveness of an SEO campaign faster than most any other marketing mediums, it still takes time to plan and then for an SEO company to perform the work required for an online retailer to obtain top search rankings.

A common problem business owners face is finding the time to plan. As a business owner, I can certainly understand this. Fortunately, as with any new or improved marketing initiatives, it takes effort to set aside time required to determine a proper course of action. While some readers may do a double take and question the usage of the word “fortunately.” Its usage in the above sentence is no mistake. Most presidents and owners do not spend the time needed to effectively initiate and follow through on their internet marketing efforts. Any owner fortunate enough to take the time to fully plan and commence an SEO campaign therefore ends up with an enormous competitive advantage over those who continually wait, ponder, or never start one.

This certainly does not mean that any marketing coordinator of an online retailer should rush out tomorrow and hire an SEO company, but it does mean that the most profitable online retailers likely already followed similar steps some time ago. Any online business looking to join their ranks, should at a minimum, outline a definitive strategy on how to increase their website’s sales. I highly suggest that retailers \set and adhere to a time frame for actually acting upon such an outline. While this holiday season is starting to wrap up, the next one is only starting out. Companies that decisively choose and initiate a plan in advance of the next sales boom are likely the same ones that will experience the largest financial rewards.

The initial questions a company should decide upon are the objectives for their website. Does your firm want businesses or consumers finding the site? Does your company want to market to a local, national, or international audience? Is the site primarily for branding purposes? All of these questions are important when deciding how much to budget for the website and to spend with an SEO company.

Also, important to keep in mind is that SEO is not a commodity. If your company is price shopping, as most smart companies do, remember that oftentimes you are comparing apples to oranges. On many occasions, there is a simple and specific reason why certain SEM companies charge higher rates than others - they deliver on their promises. Spending $1,000 per month with an SEO company that can deliver on its promises is often much less expensive than spending a few hundred dollars with a company that does not have the expertise or capabilities to deliver as stated.

Still as with any industry, companies in the SEO and SEM fields differ greatly in the pricing they offer. Many times, companies will not mention a final price until after having a conversation with you or someone at your firm. I suggest viewing this as a positive. Most companies that have set rates, regardless of the client’s objectives, are unable to deliver on their promises. An SEO company that asks questions usually wants to know more about your objectives.

Many of the more reputable companies have base pricing that is modified depending upon the client’s goals and budget. Below are examples of our company’s pricing structure. Please use it as an example of what to expect when dealing with a white hat SEO firm. The pricing you receive from others should be within this ballpark. You may wish to pause if the pricing an SEO company quotes is much higher or lower than that below. 

Low Budget or Burned Before

Agilis Marketing offers a price plan at $99 per month for new customers who want to test the SEO waters. I have also found this ideal for companies or individuals who hired an SEO company in the past that had failed to deliver on their promises.

After realizing that multiple companies simply want to try an SEM service before committing, we created a plan that allows just that. No contracts, nor long term commitments. The caveat is that companies may only select one phrase to target. Essentially this is our company’s way of showing your company that which we are capable of achieving. Those interested in trying the offer can simply place their order online without ever needing to speak to someone. Of course I always encourage companies to call us first, if for no other reason then simply to have a short conversation to ensure we fully understand your goals. Many times clients who select this plan see an increase in sales and subsequently their budgets. Details on this price plan or located at: http://www.agilismarketing.com/seo-special/

Medium Budget - Most companies fall into this range

These are customized plans for companies that are looking to target approximately ten keyword phrases that are locally or regionally based. Pricing starts at $500 per month and increases based upon the client’s goals. Sometimes less competitive nationally focused keywords are targeted under this type of plan. A few of the factors that determine exact pricing include the current rankings for the website, when the company built the website, and their industry. These plans are quoted only after a better understanding of the client’s objective is gained. Companies can request an SEO quote online or call 1-800-SEO-1169.

Larger Budget – A company that wishes to dominate a market segment

Fortune 500 companies or those looking for stellar growth are going to want an internet marketing campaign that takes into account much more than simply top search rankings (SEO). Proper usage of pay per click, banner advertisements, and interspatial adverts are typically components of such a proposal. Pricing starts at $10,000 per month and goes up depending upon the company’s exact needs and objectives. Increasing conversions, detailed metrics, and ensuring a high ROI are a few of the features involved at this price level. Proposals typically focus on 100 or more keyword phrases, many of which might be more two word search terms that are searched for both nationally or internationally. Companies can request an SEM quote online or call 1-800-SEO-1169.

Selecting an SEO company is certainly a daunting task. However, armed with this information, budgeting for a search engine marketing campaign does not have to be the equivalent of walking through the forest in the dark. Hopefully this articles will shed a little light on the mysterious pricing SEO companies provide to prospects and make it easier for those marketers developing a budget for the New Year.

Unfortunately, far too often I see these niche marketers charging exorbitant prices. I have heard stories of small dental practices shelling out $30,000 plus to have a website built and marketed online. The saddest part of the story is that even after spending all of that money, oftentimes their websites still do not appear anywhere within the top search engine results and little or no return on investment is ever realized.

That same small dental practice or chiropractic office has likely missed out on many new patients that the doctors could of helped. Essentially, the doctors’ offices are losing twice. Their first loss occurs when the office overpays for a web design or SEO service and the second loss realates to the opportunity cost involved with missing out on all the potential new patients that might have located their practice had they hired a different marketing company.

My best advice in this scenario is to start from scratch. Those who have yet to invest in a website should learn from the mistakes of others. When starting a new chiropractic or dental practice, owners should keep these ideas in mind when the inevitable bombarding of sales calls takes place. A marketing company does not have to focus solely on a specific industry in order to provide a better service than one that does. A common misconception is that a company which can list multiple dentists and chiropractors as clients has provided those clients a valuable service.

Many times the owners of a niche businesses, such as an automobile dealership or doctor’s office, are better off talking to a general web design firm or SEO company. Often these types of companies are staffed to handle such projects, can provide a superior level of service and expertise, and can do so for a price much lower than a company that markets solely to doctors or automobile dealers. A company that declares themselves as an expert in an industry is not necessarily one. Business owners in any industry should keep this in mind whether hiring a local web design firm or an international SEO company.

Why did we decide to make this offer? Even though I am against specials, the truth is that many people are gun shy when it comes to internet marketing. This is an opportunity for those companies or individuals to use our services for an extremely low price. Thus businesses are able to experience what our SEO company can achieve for a menial fee. Please note that this offer is available for both U.S. and international companies looking to improve the search engine marketing component of their advertising strategy.

I do want to emphasis that we are using this strategy as a loss leader. The only reason we are offering this price is to show companies our SEM abilities. Our company’s mission has not changed: to grow our business with the growth of our clients’ businesses. This offer is a way of showing the deep commitment we have towards that goal. Feel free to contact us with any questions at 1-877-SEO-1169 or go to our SEO special offer page to signup instantly.

The most common area of concern when hiring an international company is that of distance. People and companies value face to face meetings. Why should a company located in the U.K. select a firm in the U.S. when there are numerous local firms? The simple answer is that expertise and ROI should determine the decision, not locale. If a United States based company is more experienced with SEO and delivers a higher ROI than the choice is obvious.

Still, it is oftentimes easier to work with a company located in one’s home country. This is an advantages that should not go overlooked. The ability to take a quick flight or drive and meet face to face with representatives of the contracted company can certainly be of value. Whereas if a U.S. marketing company is hired then a face to face meeting is much more time consuming. That said the easier route is not always the most profitable one. Corporate America provides a perfect example of this and it is one reason why many U.S. companies outsource jobs overseas. Hiring a United States company to perform U.K. SEO work is turning into an increasingly smarter move for businesses in part due to the ongoing decline in the dollar.

Even with the aforementioned stated, the issue of distance still comes into play. Therefore our company happily meets with owners and directors of companies in the United Kingdom. Depending on the circumstances, sometimes it is more effective for our employees to visit a U.K. company’s headquarters, whereas on other occasions the converse holds true. Either way, Agilis Marketing does not view distance as a barrier to providing excellent search engine optimisation services to United Kingdom clients or any other international companies.