12Jul 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

The Early History of SEO

Marketing, Online Marketing, Search Marketing, Small Business Info
“Many years in a land far away” would be an appropriate beginning to many histories. However, search engine optimization (SEO) is another — albeit unique — story. Not only is it still a relatively new industry, but its true inception as an entity is about as ambiguous as nailing down the ROI for a link earning strategy. What is certain is the importance SEO holds in the online marketing industry and the potential SEO holds for traffic and ecommerce revenue. These factors have led me to wonder where the practice of search engine optimization began and who the people were responsible for its initial growth. (more…)
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14Jun 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

Keeping Up with SEO

Marketing, Marketing Info, Online Marketing, Search Marketing, Small Business
Search Marketing is constantly changing. One week, forums like Webmaster World are abuzz with theories on Panda and Penguin updates. The next, everyone is talking about how Google is cracking down on guest posting. So what to do? Being a good small business SEO definitely involves keeping up with the ever-evolving world of Search Engine Optimization, so I’ve outlined four resources I use when I am simply trying to keep up. Websites and Blogs There’s a wealth of information online regarding SEO, new updates and best practices. I like to base my online SEO reading material on trust and authority. In doing so, I’ve found Search Engine Land, Search Engine Watch and SEOroundtable.com to be about as trustworthy as they come. But even when I can’t keep up on a…
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10May 2014 by Cindy Berrier 2 Comments

Long-Tail Keywords: The Long and Short

Customer Acquisition, Marketing, Online Marketing, Search Marketing, Small Business Info
[caption id="attachment_7370" align="aligncenter" width="350"] [credit: quantummarketer.com][/caption]For years, SEO specialists have concentrated on high search volume keywords in their optimization efforts. If you could rank in the top three entries on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) for your head keyword (i.e. product keyword) you were living large. Unfortunately, the competition is and remains fierce for those top spots. Enter long-tail SEO (queue divine background music). Long-tail SEO strategies have proven to increase conversions, allow sites to rank higher for less competitive keyword phrases, and best of all, long tail keywords go hand-in-hand with what all the kids are talking about, semantic search. But what it is and how can you use it to your benefit? (more…)
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15Feb 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

SEO and Small Business: Knowledge is Everything

Customer Acquisition, Marketing, Online Marketing, Search Marketing, Small Business Info
In 2014, online visibility for your small business is more important than ever.  In fact, the visibility of your brand in all market areas is essential to business expansion and growth. For our purposes, we are going to focus on some of the more preliminary tactics that small businesses should employ when establishing their SEO strategy. First and foremost, know your audience. You may think this is stating the obvious, and for all intent purposes it is. However, it’s surprising how many business owners, small and large, take this step for granted and miss the boat on potential traffic and sales.  Do as much research on potential clients, their needs and behavior as possible and discover what and why they are searching for it on your site. But what does…
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09Dec 2013 by Cindy Berrier 2 Comments

4 Tips to Improve Your Website

Marketing Info, Monday Marketing Minutes, Small Business, Small Business Info
Your website is more important to your business than ever, and with the holidays close at hand, that’s never been more true. In fact, according to Accenture’s Holiday 2013 Shopping Trends infographic, 65% of consumers plan to browse products online before purchasing in stores this holiday season. Following are four ideas to improve your website: Keep It Simple — From site navigation to the headlines and subheads, make it easy for your site visitors to find what they’re looking for on your site. Categorize your products in a way that makes sense to prospective customers as opposed to how your company thinks about products internally. If you don’t have an alphabetical “
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