Review websites are easy places for individuals to register and places information on any company. It is important to act proactively on the most common sites, post basic information, and respond to comments whether negative or positive. There are many places where consumers read reviews about a company’s products or services, but a handful is more commonly visited. Please keep in mind that specific industries often contain niche sites for businesses. As an example, any owner of a travel or tourist related business will certainly want to register at Trip Advisor. Regardless of the industry, these are a few key sites to place business information:

Google Reviews:

The simplest way to add a review is to type in your company’s name and location. Unless it is a brand new business, it is likely there are already reviews from others about your company. Take the time here to add a review and ask a few others to do the same. Make certain not to overdo it and that the reviews are realistic. If the business is newer a webmaster might first need to register their business with Google’s local listings. Still, even if it is an older site, it is smart to register it through this system since it will allow addition of information visitors may not find otherwise

Insider Pages:

This is a widely popular site where reviews are often siphoned from and displayed in the search results or on other websites. It is important with online reputation management to ensure that there are reviews and positive ones. The addition of a few at this hub is recommended.

Yelp:

Yelp is well known for its local listings. Therefore, it is especially important to place commentary here if your company serves a local market. Travelers as well as locals commonly visit this site directly to learn more about a restaurant before eating there. Thus it is smart to include a detailed review at Yelp that appeals to a business’ target audience.

While these are certainly a few key places to register, please remember this simply a primer in online reputation management, managing reviews and placement of those reviews within the search results is crucial. This primarily focuses on ensuring positive reviews are at the top of Google whereas negative search reviews, such as those often found at Rip Off Report, are hidden deep with the search results.

It surprised me to see that such little advertising went into GOOG-411. As one might imagine it provides the same information that paid 411 services do, only it is free. Simply dial 1-800-GOOG-411 and their automated 411 information system does not cost one penny. What makes the service unique, aside from the cost, is that it provides more information than traditional 411 services. Lately, it is the norm to also receive text messages with a business’ phone number if one desires. Now a person can also receive detailed business information about the company as well as a map with its location. If your phone is already GPS enabled than not only do you have the telephone number for a business, but you also can end up receiving turn by turn directions to reach its brick and mortar location.

Google health is an incredible tool that I did not even realize existed till working on this piece. It allows for central storage of all your medical information in one place. Google addresses privacy concerns from the onset because it hardly requires mentioning how sensitive health data is for patients. Presently this tool allows individuals to put all their medical information in one place. The company also partnered with CVS and other pharmacies so that prescription and drug information is automatically downloadable and linked to an account if one desires. Thus not only does this tool store information, but it allows for easier updating of the details. While I cannot predict Google’s future plans for this tool, it has the potential to drastically evolve doctors and patients access to medical information. Rather than filling in a medical questionnaire at each new doctor’s visit, and possibly forgetting some details, one could simply allow a doctor access to their medical profile. The possibilities for this feature are countless and potentially beneficial to all parties.

Another tool that is more directly relevant for our audience is the search based keyword tool. This Google feature is a variation of the traditional keyword tool that allows business owners to discover new keywords phrases that the other tool possibly overlooked. During the development of a keyword list, there is absolutely no reason why anyone should not take advantage of both this supplementary offering and the traditional AdWords feature, to further develop a SEM campaign. Of course there are numerous other new Google tools available, but it seemed worthwhile to highlight a few of them. It is truly amazing the technology and access to information that the company is developing. I find it exciting to see such developments taking place that help everyone better organize information.

• Do you suggest submitting the Google AdWords Trademark Complaint Form? FYI: The form is located here: https://services.google.com/inquiry/aw_tmcomplaint
  Is it smart to lodge DMCA complaints?What do you propose as an external link strategy to improve my company’s appearance on the web?
• How important is the utilization of online social networking (i.e. blogs, twitter, Facebook, etc…) for your company’s Internet reputation?
• How does Page Rank impact the SERPS?
• What is your guarantee?
• What is your affiliation with SEMPO?
• Will ripoffreports.com and other such sites still appear in the SERPS?
• Do your strategies coincide with the terms of service and webmaster guidelines for each search engine?
• How will the Sandbox impact achieving the campaign’s desired goals?
• How long before results are noticeable?
• [If asking an outside agency] What are you going to do that our company cannot do on its own?
• [If asking an individual] Why should we utilize your expertise versus that of an outside agency?

As an abbreviated answer to the last question, as the owner of Agilis Marketing, I have over a decade of experience utilizing the internet to improve a brand’s image. Only a handful of individuals, including myself, can claim they are experienced in this niche and have expertise that dates back to the time GoTo.com existed (before Overture took over, and before Yahoo purchased that company and turned it into Yahoo! Search Marketing).

Utilizing an outside agency, combined with a knowledgeable liaison is another strategy medium to larger capitalized companies employ. However, if a company is fortunate enough to find the proper person to handle the entire campaign in-house, equal or better results are achievable at a fraction of the cost. Please feel free to ask Agilis Marketing any questions.

It is important to make it clear that despite the headline of this post marketing on the internet encompasses much more than simply showing up at the top of the search results for a particular phrase or as indicated: travel SEO. In fact, dependent upon the target audience of the marketing campaign, other promoting elsewhere on the internet is more profitable.

Before the trip, my father created a list of top tourist sites based primarily on recommendations from tripadvisor.com and the majority of places we visited were on that list (restaurants included). After jokingly giving him a hard time for creating such a list in the first place, I thanked him in the end since my family ended up enjoying an excellent vacation. The marketing takeaway gleamed is the value the internet has upon influencing tourists’ decisions while traveling to an unfamiliar destination. Thus it is important not only for a company’s site to appear at the top of the search engines, but also for it to appear at the top of major well known travel sites such as the one my father utilized.

All that said, one of the most common venues tourists utilize is a search engine, such as Google, when selecting a skydiving location or a restaurant to eat at after a day of activities. Hence the value of ensuring your company has a site that is optimized to appear at the top of the search engines. The same strategies are utilized with a travel SEO campaign as with any other. However, as part of the entire search marketing campaign it is crucial to hire a marketer that understands the value of other online sites that tourists frequent and help ensure that your company is listed near the top.

With international SEO it is crucial to remember what works locally will not necessarily work overseas. While everyone reading this post likely already realizes this it is still worth a one sentence reminder. Not even considering cultural differences, a simple SEM campaign’s keyword base can change dramatically from one country to another. Utilizing the United Kingdom as an example target audience, it is important to remember even the smallest of changes that could result in a large opportunity cost if missed. Using Agilis Marketing’s industry as an example, individuals in the U.K. tend to search for search engine optimisation which is a different phrase than the one utilized in the U.S. because of the spelling difference.

Aside from the basics such as in the previous example, it is key that the SEM company hired has experience or at least knows how to operate an international campaign differently. For instance appearing at the front of the search engines for phrase “planning a trip to New York” on another country’s search engine, involves obtaining recommendations from other websites within the country of origin. A rookie mistake for many marketers is to create press releases and blog posts with Unites States based websites and companies. If your company is targeting a new audience, make certain to promote it within that region. Is this common sense? Yes, but often such items are overlooked a company can spend thousands by overlooking such an important component involved with international SEO and internet marketing.

What is important to understand from this trend is that SEO and SEM firms are increasingly practicing what they preach. It is not uncommon for any SEO company to suggest, and rightfully so, that a company target specific keyword phrases within their industry and geographic niche. If a company only sells its products or services to customers in the U.K. it makes little sense to target visitors elsewhere. Of course the converse also holds true for companies within the U.S. or elsewhere. Those a United Kingdom SEO company might work best for businesses in that Geographic area. The keyword here is “might”.

Simply because a business of any kind appears in the top of the search engine result pages does not mean it is the best choice, on many occasions the opposite is true. Following an earlier example on niche SEO companies, type “SEM for Lawyers” into Google and take a look at the listings that appear. Upon an initial, glance many of the listings contain websites that are offering extremely expensive services to this target audience, likely based upon the assumption that attorneys are not as privy to the true costs of search marketing and are willing to a premium to experience the comfort of knowing a portion of the firm’s marketing budget is devoted to internet marketing. Unfortunately, what is unrealized in the above scenario is that a law firm is possibly over spending for underperformance. A search for city + SEM Company might of yielded better results.

The primary takeaway here is to take nothing at face value and conduct appropriate research. Simply because there are niche SEO companies that purport to provide the “best” services for a target audience does not mean that they do. Rather conduct a variety of searches and shop around. If that same company also appears for other terms aside from just their niche that is perhaps a positive sign that the business is better rounded. The bottom line here is not to take anything at face value and do business with a company simply because it is on a list of the top ten in the Google SERPS for one phrase. Conduct more searches and more research before signing on board with any niche SEO Company, oftentimes a run of the mill search engine optimization firm can provide equal if not better results at a fraction of the cost.

A well executed SEO campaign can place your practice write in front of the eyes of consumers when they are definitively looking for a provider. One field that is likely more to benefit from such exposure is the practice veterinarian medicine. With a vet there are fewer limitations from insurance companies and oftentimes vets are simple chosen based upon location to a pet owner’s home rather than other marketing efforts. That said, a larger number of individuals are turning the web to research and ultimately select a veterinarian. This is particularly true when surgery is involved with an animal. The Detroit Dover Animal Hospital is one practice that appears to utilize SEO to attract clientele. A quick search on Google for veterinarian Westlake will show the practice in the top of the listings.

Now should all health practitioners jump on the band wagon? Perhaps, but thus most likely to benefit are those that practice more general patient services and those with more specialized. This may initially sound odd. However, consumers often will conduct a search on the internet to locate a local chiropractor and a research the best doctor for a more complicated procedure. Whereas, more routine outpatient types of operations or services that fall in between the above range can typically come from a referral when he consumer does not find it worthwhile to do the research and rather to go with the recommendation of an already trusted professional; perhaps one found initially on the internet.

Is it better to hire in an in house marketer or an external SEO firm? My response to this is little changed from that in the past. Quite simply, if your company is large enough and has multiple websites it is possibly well worth the effort to hire an in house person to perform the duties essential in a SEM campaign. However, it is important to keep in mind that strategy can cost a company more money if it distracts management from the business’ core focus. The small business owners and especially the sole proprietors are almost always better off hiring a professional SEO company than doing the work in house. While, not paying for SEO may seem a way to cut expenses. The opportunity costs associated with not hiring one a tremendous.

Considering that many economists are already deeming this as a jobless recovery, it further makes sense to hire an outside SEM company in light of this view. In fact these economists are inferring that many companies are already employing such strategies. Owners are increasingly outsourcing any type of task not related to the company’s core business model. This proves beneficial since one can avoid the many expenses associated with hiring internal personnel. Oftentimes the expenses utilized with an external company are also easier to write off come tax season, providing a further benefit. However, the primary reason I suggest hiring an outside SEO company during any type of recovery is that is much easier to scale up or down depending upon what takes place in with the economy as a whole.

First, it is important note that this Miami bail bonds company also utilizes PPC advertising so there are both natural a paid listings that appear in the results pages. Thus, http://www.coralgablesbailbonds.net/ appears in multiple places on the front page. This in and of itself adds confidence when someone from afar is selecting what company or person they can entrust. However, it is important that we go beyond simply what is seen on Google’s pages, but also look at the website itself.

When viewing the site, you will notice that there are both a toll free and local number located at the top right thus making it simple for anyone with a question to call. As many business owners know, a call where someone asks a simple question as often an excellent time to convert a person who is simply shopping around into one who selects your company. The only critique I offer is that, I would advice placing the toll free number above the local number since most people prefer toll free number even when making a local call.

The site does an excellent job at answering to common questions before a visitor even asks. “Why Choose Us?”, does exactly that both in text and with a small visual image. “Who We Are!” complements this question by providing details about the company and its history. Additionally, the company’s location is clearly apparent by utilizing the Google map insert to show the businesses physical location. This only adds further comfort to the rightfully initially suspicious internet surfers, who is pondering whether to do business with a company they might never heard of previously. Luckily, I cannot speak firsthand about the Miami bail bonds process. I can say that this site does an excellent job utilizing search engine marketing to lead the prospective customers to the site and then encourage that individuals contact Coral Gables with any questions.

We assist general practice attorneys as well as those who specialize in particular areas, such as DUI or divorce lawyers. Essentially, Agilis creates a new site or takes an existing one and place it at the top of Google’s search results. Thus if you are a DUI Lawyer in Miami, Agilis can make it so that your website is the first one people see. Additionally and unlike many competitors, since SEO is in a saturated marketplace, the company decided to put our own skin in the game. We offer money back guarantees if results are not delivered as promised and accept all credit cards for further protection.

Basically, if you are a lawyer looking to utilize SEO to bring in new clients we want to talk. Perhaps our company is not the right fit, and if that is the case there are numerous suggestions that we can provide on how you may wish to market your firm. As the owner of the company, I wanted to personally invite any lawyer who is looking to personally contact me for more information. I am interested in focusing on this particular niche of search engine marketing and am excited to work with firms and attorneys who are seeking to generate new business leads through the internet. Please simply ask that the contact for is sent to myself, Brent Yorzinski, when filling out the form using the link earlier. Also feel free to reach me directly at 1-866-SEO-1169 ext. 701 to find out if I can assist you. I sincerely look forward to speaking to you and helping out your firm if appropriate.

The type of company that might want to utilize reputation management is one with a strong brand name, that people type into the search engines frequently, but is in an industry with negative connotations. Take any debt collection company for as an example, then Search for the company’s name and more often than not the results display nothing but a list of complaints from people claiming they were forced to pay their bills. The bottom line is that nobody forced them to do anything and it is the individuals’ faults for accumulating the liability. Nonetheless, this still reflects poorly upon a company’s reputation and can hamper business.

The most effective and least costly way to change this is through the use of SEO and SEM techniques to ensure primarily positive information is displayed on Google’s search pages. Generally this is done by ensuring that sites that list positive information are placed above those with negative details. Sometimes the creation of individual sites is a smart idea, whereas other times is more cost effective to promote sites that already display positive information.

One might use this same technique on an international level as well. Oftentimes with the introduction of a new product it is important to show as much positive information as possible. Utilizing search engine marketing to help positive product reviews is a helpful and cost effective way to increase a company’s and product’s reputation. Look to see reputation management as an ever growing niche in the SEM industry.

Taking a look at the backlink portion of the equation is often the strongest single item to focus upon. This is especially true for Google. When utilizing SEO for real estate websites it is crucial to ensure that there are authoritative references (links) from other related sites that point back to your URL. This means that the references to your site should come from other real estate websites and those related to real estate. They should not come from a URL’s that focus on divorces, such as that in last month’s post. Rather it is crucial to focus on obtaining references from other related properties on web.

The other component when attempting optimization for real estate websites involves the content on the pages. First there should be at least eight pages of copy at a minimum. Why will other sites want to link to yours if it does not contain content of any value? Additionally, why will a search engine want to display results if there is no information on the domain? Search engines want visitors to find the info desired. If your site does not contain that information, then there is almost certainly another one that does.

This is why there are countless articles on the web that talk about these two crucial components. The trend will continue until webmasters and SEM companies start to follow that advice, which will likely never occur. That is why knowing this information is one additional competitive advantage for those who also utilize the practices described. Many webmasters do these tasks themselves but I find a larger number find it more cost effective to outsource it to a local or international SEM company, such as Agilis Marketing. Shameless plug – yes; but it is also true.

Let’s take a look at my newer website and take a look at what is going on here. First off it is important to note the URL of http://www.virginia-divorce-lawyer.com/, obviously I carefully selected this URL based upon the keyword phrases this internet property intends to target and to whom the site will sell marketing space and generate advertisement revenue. Individuals with existing sites do not share the same luxury. However, the URL of the site is only one component in a local, national, or international SEM marketing campaign.

The WHOIS data clearly illustrates the purchase of the domain only a few months back:
Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: VIRGINIA-DIVORCE-LAWYER.COM
Created on: 15-Mar-09
Expires on: 15-Mar-10
Last Updated on: 18-Mar-09

Still the page is already well indexed and the homepage has a PR of 3. Yet, one will notice that the site still does not appear for any many major phrases on the SERPS. However a deeper look shows it is already number for when typing into Google allinanchor: Virginia beach lawyer. This clearly illustrates the sandbox penalty. Still , how did the site reach this PR in such a short time frame with a limited number of backlinks? One reason is there is news blog that is updated weekly with fresh content. While the main page itself,  http://www.virginia-divorce-lawyer.com/news/, does not currently show a PageRank all the information is indexed.

Of course there are many other components aside from a Virginia divorce news section that allowed for the site to reach these marks at such a rapid pace and that is what Agilis Marketing helps accomplish for its selected clients. Please feel free to contact us to learn more about our services and we can see whether or not Agilis and your company is a smart match for developing an SEM campaign. Whether a site relates to attorneys and the legal system or anything else makes little difference in the eyes of the major search engines.

Tip one is to create quality and unique content. While most visitors likely already heard this a million times, few people actually implement this properly. The content should be within one link from the homepage if at all possible. Each primary page of the site should contain at least 250 words of text. A site should contain at least eight pages. All pages should utilize coding and URL’s that are easy for the search engines to read. These are some of the bare minimums, but are excellent places to start on your own.

Tip number two, which also is ingrained in most people’s minds is to build quality links from outside sites. Those on a tight budget are likely best with reciprocal exchanges. They are not as powerful as one-way links, but also only take the time required to establish the contact with another webmaster. When doing such it is crucial that to exchange link only with websites that are directly related to the company’s niche. Pass on everything else. As a cautionary note, link exchanges are often difficult on sites that are brand new and Google does not display a PR since others are less likely to want to trade.

As more companies and individuals are trimming budgets, these two tips alone will take a website far. Nonetheless, do not expect miracles overnight, nor to learn as much as individuals or companies who do this for a living. At some point in time it almost always makes sense to turn to a professional SEO company for help.

A key consideration that companies will want to watch out for is accidentally linking to bad neighborhoods during their off page optimization efforts. When it comes to health sites it is easy to accidentally acquire a link from a website that sells Viagra or other items, which Google might use to classify a website as one that is part of a bad neighborhood. Unless you are selling Viagra, if your company is selling supplements or other health services then it is important to ensure links pointing to the company’s site do not come from websites in a bad neighborhood. I advise those wondering what Google views as “bad neighborhood” to utilize common sense principles. Essentially, if the site is inappropriate for children the Google is likely to classify it as a website that is part of a bad neighborhood. When performing health website SEM it is even more essential to only attempt to gather links from directly relevant websites than if your company operated in a different niche.

Of course there are a few other minor differences to keep in mind when performing SEO on a health website. However, for the most part following the same best practices utilized when optimizing a site in any industry will work fine whether starting an international SEM campaign for your company’s business or targeting a local audience. Please feel free to utilize the form below to add your insights and commentary.

There are a variety of companies that provide such services and they all charge a wide array of prices. PSDSlicing.com is one company that is particularly talented in this arena, is competitively priced, and extremely efficient.  They make it simple and painless to turn a concept or image into a functional, WC3 compliant website. Understandably many individuals in the United States are hesitant to do business with an international company. However, this firm alleviates those concerns by only requiring a 50 percent deposit and providing numerous references to satisfied clients.

Developing a website is one of the first steps to creating a well defined search engine presence. Other factors such as the importance of links are required considerations. All that said, before anyone can even start the more complex process of marketing a website, obviously one is needed. “PSD Slicing” is an excellent service and place to start prior to commencing a search engine optimization project.

One particular firm that has done an extremely successful job is Mr. Breckenridge Real Estate. Of particular interest is their usage of YouTube videos to help market the website. This helps from an SEO and SEM perspective. Even individuals outside of the U.S. in international geographies viewed this video and then visited the site. Visit www.youtube.com and search for “Breckenridge Real Estate” or visit their video directly here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzPIAMU7jTI  . Notice this company’s video appears at the top of the list and therefore serves as an excellent example of strategy other agencies might attempt to replicate.

It is also important to note that rather than only serving one region. This company services nearby areas as well including the Copper Mountain CO real estate and Silverthorne real estate markets. Doing such ensures that once people reach the site they have plenty of options to pick amongst. It is difficult enough to obtain traffic to a website so it is vital that once someone reaches the destination relevant information is there that keeps visitors interested.

The primary takeaway here is that if you are a real estate agent, no matter what area you serve, it is crucial to have a well respected web presence and usage of innovative techniques. Mr. Breckenridge serves as an excellent example of a website that is able to generate leads as a result. The internet is an ideal place to achieve a superior ROI for a company’s marketing investment. I always advise people to do what they are best at. I do not try to sell real estate and it usually best for a real estate company to hire an outside agency to help with their internet marketing.

Whether using Agilis Marketing or another SEM company, hiring a professional firm is a smart move. It is also important to note that we did not do the marketing for this company, nor is this real estate firm a client of ours. It appears they received professional assistance from another reputable SEO firm and therefore serves as an excellent example of what an agency can accomplish whether using our company or another. Visitors may also wish to take a look at one our past post about selecting an SEO company loacated http://www.agilismarketing.com/sem-marketing-blog/selecting-a-united-states-seo-company/ and also advice on common tricks to avoid during your search on the post entitle SEO company tricks. As always, please feel free to comment with your thoughts.

There are multiple positive SEO benefits to registering a domain name that already exists and has PageRank. The largest benefit is that it becomes possible to avoid the Google Sandbox, thus saving an enormous amount of time before your website can appear in the search rankings. Another benefit is that the domain might already have traffic going that way. Of course these are usually only of value if the domain purchased is in the same industry as the content and information a company is planning to put on the website.

The primary benefits of a registering a new domain name is that it is often cheaper and you can select the exact name desired. Often companies prefer to use their register their business names as their domain names. However, bear in mind if you own a business called Widgets XYZ, it might be better to register the domain discount-widgets.com rather than widgetsxyz.com. The reason for this is that the former variation is likely to help more with search engine marketing and optimization efforts. Regardless of which option is selected the resource mentioned earlier is an excellent place to buy new domain names or existing ones.

One other factor to keep in mind is that sometimes hosting companies will register your domain name free of charge, but it is not always a smart idea to pick a bundled hosting package and domain name. This is true simply because switching to another hosting company can become more difficult as your business grows. Therefore even after selecting a hosting company it is a smart idea to register your domain name separately through another company such as those suggested earlier in this article.

A SEO Friendly Blog

Silver Cross developed a stair lifts blog to discuss the product and provide more information on the company. This is essential in the days of social marketing. A larger number of customers are looking at a website’s blog before they make a purchasing decision. The blog also does a nice job of integrating video into the website which further helps with SEO on both the local, national, and international levels. As a result of all this the blog is quickly becoming the destination of choice for those who are searching for stair lifts.

Electric Scooters and Power Wheelchairs

These are two extremely competitive keyword phrases for any company to target. Yet Silver Scooters does an excellent job of going beyond the basics. They carefully exercise the practice of deep linking into their overall marketing strategy. A couple pages targeted are those that focus on electric scooters and power wheelchairs. Many companies make the mistake of only targeting their homepage. Silver scooters ensure that visitors are also directed to their electric scooters, power wheelchairs, and many other product specific pages. This is an increasingly important strategy as Google and the other search engines look beyond links pointing only to a websites homepage.

These are all excellent strategies for any company to keep in mind. Whether selling electric scooters, another health related product, or anything else on the internet these same strategies apply. Silver Cross is doing an excellent job at implementing all that mentioned above.

Simply because an international SEM company is able to achieve results for its own website does not mean that same firm will devote the same resources to yours. Be wary of any firm that is only is to provide their website as an example of results achieved . Be equally concerned if a company is not even able to use their own site as an example.

Client Testimonial on SEM Sites

Take caution when looking at companies that advertise client results. First, they are patently admitting and identifying to Google that website XYZ is utilizing their services. If that alone does not scare you then keep reading. Ask the SEO company tough questions. One question might be if the other firm had a similar budget to that of yours.

Long Tailed Keywords

It is not overly difficult for a search engine marketing company to help a website appear in Google or other search engines for long phrases or those with little competition. A true test of the firms abilities is whether they are able to rank highly for shorter more competitive keyword phrases.

High price Equals Excellent Results.

This is a fallacy in the industry that is quite costly. Simply because a firm is charging more does not mean it is going to do much more work than one of the directory submissions companies. Use caution and watch out for this trick. As with anything purchased with a high price tag, ask for a detailed written contract and explanation of exactly what you are receiving for the money. An SEO company is unlikely to reveal everything, but they should provide you with enough information for you to ensure they deserve the amount spent and for someone to monitor a website’s performance.

These are just a few of the tricks employed by the SEO industry and why many people never use an SEM company. It is also why the industry is frowned upon by many companies while relied upon by a large number of firms. Remember that top search engine rankings are only half the battle. The best firms will let you know this and focus on the entire conversion process rather than simply the search rankings.