How to Look Beyond What Is or Isn't Ranking

Website owners and managers will always be fascinated with how well they rank on search engines. However, rankings can be deceiving because they only provide a small part of the data set anyone will need to gauge online success.

Who wouldn't like to be No. 1 on Google for an organic listing? Among the busy array of results (including paid ads and local search), a top ranking still shines. It shouts: "I climbed the mountain and beat out the other guy."

But did you?

Here are 12 key points to consider with your ranking numbers that quickly touch on other aspects of your online marketing initiative. Keeping these factors in mind will help you make better choices about what next steps you should take to ensure that you're better positioned to improve your company's bottom line.

1. Did you pursue the right keyword?

A No. 1 ranking is possible with barely any effort, but will it drive traffic? You might rank well for Cleveland Legal Counselors, but odds are more people are searching for Cleveland Lawyers. If that's too competitive, try Lawyers in Cleveland and get your share of traffic from the many ways people search.

2. Are you targeting the right search engine?

A top ranking on Bing can trigger big smiles. However, if your website only gets 3.5% of its traffic from Bing - for all keywords - the ranking may not deserve a lot of attention. Yes, conversions are worth considering, but you need to constantly think about what precious time you're committing to Bing when other engines may pay off in an even bigger way.

3. What's your track record?

You need to chart the progress. It's not a good sign if months go by and you can't crack the top 30 positions in any search engine results. Own up to the fact that maybe the keyword phrase is too competitive if it doesn't show an improvement. Look for headway. For keywords with little competition, maybe you'll rank higher sooner. But that's not always the case. Your search engine optimization (SEO) practices may help you show a marked improvement even for more competitive search terms.

4. Setbacks are common.

If you manage to get a great ranking - perhaps in the top 5 spots - don't panic if your ranking dips a bit. It could easily rebound.

5. Substitutions aren't inferior.

Like NBA bench players, new keyword options can excel if given the opportunity. If you can't get a high ranking for a keyword phrase among your starting lineup, remove it after a few months. Why keep it if the keyword phrase isn't gaining momentum - either toward a top ranking or in its ability to convert.

6. Don't be misled by your computer.

With personal settings, browser history and different data centers, it's increasingly tough to know if your exceptional ranking is really what it seems. For your most significant keywords, you may want to have someone else tell you how the keyword phrases ranks. Or, test out the search terms with some other ranking checkers (including third-party sources) like the ones listed below.

SEO Book Rank Checker (for Firefox): This tool still references your computer but has a setting to avoid your Google personal settings.

RankChecker.net: Easy-to-use third party (note that it defaults to top 10)

Mike's Marketing Tools: Third-party tool with multiple engines

7. Understand your landing pages.

It's not uncommon for the home page to be the landing page for a powerful keyword phrase. Your conversion opportunity may really be an inside page. In a fantasy world, you could tag keywords and they would magically be directed to your preferred pages. In reality, that's the beauty of paid search. But don't give up on your home page. If it's working, find a way to establish Calls to Action within the content, the core navigation, and diverse user cues to make sure visitors go where you lead them.

8. The crowded home page.

Another problem with the home page is the fact that many keyword phrases often rank well for it. A few keywords may perform better if you are able to adapt your strategy and target some interior pages for some of the keywords. Your website analytics package should help you see what keywords are being used to reach the home page or any other page with a crowded keyword field.

9. Balance greed with diversity.

Online marketers get excited if they have more than one page appearing in the top 10 search results for the same keyword phrase. You should consider whether one of the pages could better support another keyword phrase that lacks the visibility it needs to generate traffic and sales or leads for your business. Don't make a hasty decision. If a keyword phrase ranks No. 7 on one page and No. 15 on another page, don't assume the No. 7 ranking is the best one to attack because it's closer to the No. 1 position. You need to weigh what you've already done with both pages, keyword themes on the website, the amount of content on each page, conversion opportunities and more. For example, the No. 7 ranking may be the best you'll do for the one page. For another page, the No. 15 ranking may not have taken as much effort to achieve (meaning you could still do more with SEO to improve the ranking).

10. Visitors tell another part of the story.

Unfortunately some businesses lack conversion data and settings. At least you can look at the visitor data in your website analytics. In the purest sense, visitor metrics will indicate whether the ranking has any merit.

11. Be honest about your conversions.

Many websites lack opportunities to connect with visitors. Your top ranking may be wasted if your potential customer encounters a poor design (with usability messes), text overload (visitors typically prefer to scan) and information without a clear Call to Action. Offering your phone number in the 14th paragraph isn't very effective.



12. Know your website strengths.

To appreciate your rankings (or lack of them), you need to know your website's strengths and weaknesses. Take a look at the competition. Study which website ranks No. 1 or even No. 10. What do they have that your website lacks? Maybe it's a great domain name (with a keyword), an age advantage, more links, and more content (multiple pages) to accentuate keyword themes, etc.

Business owners and marketers can study rankings every day, but the ranking position alone won't help. Look at the rankings within the context of overall traffic, conversions, your SEO efforts to date, the viability of your website, and your ability to spread keywords across the website.

Ultimately, you may need more pages to support your preferred ranking over the long haul. While making that investment, keep an eye out for alternative keywords that your website can realistically support - today and in the future.

Google Traffic Report Card-Does Your Website Pass? Part 1

This is part 1 of a 7 part series that examines the 7 factors of incoming links that Google considers when choosing a spot for your website in it's SERP's.

Why incoming links? First because these are what Google places the maximum value on. But, all incoming links are NOT created identical. This 7 part course looks at the kinds of links Google values when "rating" your website in the SERP's. Each type of link discussed is significant to your on the whole link approach and accordingly your free traffic levels.

The first factor is of course the newscaster text used in your incoming links. The significance of the keywords used to link to your website are more important to Google than the content that is in point of fact on your page. You can generally use anchor link text with your keywords and not even have the keywords on the page and still get a good ranking in Google for that term if enough incoming links have that keyword pharse in them.

If you've heard of the phrase "Google Bombing" then you know what I'm talking about. Essentially it's when a set of webmasters or blog owners decide to get a page ranked for a certain term and all leave links back to the selected site with the keyword phrase that they want that page to rank for.

The "Google Bombing" was done by at most a few hundred links with this link text pointing to the page. Though more links would in all probability be necissary for a more competative term. Still, it goes to show how important link text is to the rankings of a page.

Google Bombing is nothing new. But what many people don't realize is that Google places more application on the anchor link text that it finds when it first discovers a link to your website. Each consequential link either adds value to that first consciousness or subtracts from it.

Many times you can control which link Google finds first just by knowing where Google goes recurrently and effectively placing your link in its path. This is called "baiting" the Google bot to visit your website through this link.

Each link you place after this preliminary link should supplementary show Google that their first thought was and still is correct. Each subsiquent link is a "vote" so to speak to corroborate Google's original thought of what your website is about.

Placing that first link to be found by Google is only the first step, but a very important one. Choose your anchor text keywords vigilantly. Each incoming link you place after this one should serve to make lawful this first impression.

Should You Hire an Internet Marketing Expert?

Starting out in internet marketing is exactly always awesome
to e-business newcomers, even if they are experienced business
professionals or marketing experts. Internet marketing is truly
original and quite different from traditional marketing. The
complication is compounded for those who do not have vast
experience in commission or marketing a business. Whatever the
state of affairs, many new internet entrepreneurs ponder the idea of
hiring an internet marketing expert to get their internet-based
business off the ground.

There are different types of internet marketing experts who
provide an assortment of levels of support and services. Hiring or
astringent to a full-service internet marketing expert can be
quite well-appointed, but using limited services of an internet
marketing expert can be both cost-effective and to your advantage for
a new internet business. Another option to hiring an internet
marketing expert is to follow training and enlightening
opportunities in internet marketing that will organize you to
become an internet marketing expert yourself.

Some services accessible internet marketing expert firms take account of:

1. Preparation of marketing plans

2. Internet marketing consulting services

3. Management of explicit internet marketing campaigns

4. Full-service planning and management of the internet
marketing program

Having an internet marketing expert craft a marketing plan that
is specific to your business is a good way to gain an
beginning to internet marketing and to realize your internet
marketing probable. A marketing plan prepared by an internet
marketing expert should contain an analysis of your business and
your industry as well as identifying and evaluating your
competition and recommending a niche market for you to target.

The internet marketing expert should also summarize internet
marketing strategies for you to use to reach your target market
and to drive targeted traffic to your website. Specifics of your
planned internet marketing campaign should be included in the
marketing plan along with milestones and an internet marketing
budget. Using an internet marketing expert in this capacity will
provide you with a clear internet marketing plan that will serve
as a guide for your internet marketing program.

Internet consulting services provided by an internet marketing
expert can be provided one-on-one, through classes or through
coaching. Generally, such consulting services bring about the same
thing as a marketing plan prepared by an internet marketing
expert, but they are less formal and more projected to condition
you to prepare and administer your own marketing plan and
program. Working with an internet marketing expert on a
consulting starting point is a great way to learn about internet marketing
and to prepare yourself to manage your own internet marketing
program.

Sometimes you may find it advantageous to hire or contract an
internet marketing expert to manage a unambiguous area of your
internet marketing operation that is time consuming. Search engine
optimization and pay-per-click management are examples of these
specific activities that may benefit from the use of an internet
marketing expert. Both have need of continuing monitoring and adjustments
to be recurrently effective and cost-efficient. connecting campaigns
are also ongoing, time uncontrollable tasks that you may want to
consider outsourcing to an internet marketing expert.

A full-service internet marketing expert generally provides a
wide-array of internet marketing services. Surrounded by them are the
marketing planning tasks of reviewing the industry, identifying
the competition, analyzing the market, analytical a target
market, developing a exclusive selling scheme, identifying
marketing methods, and planning the marketing budget. Once the
marketing plan is in place and approved by you, the full-service
internet marketing expert actually launches and manages your
internet marketing campaign.

Considering all of the levels of service that an internet
marketing expert can provide will help you to make your mind up whether or
not to hire an internet marketing expert. The main advantages of
using the services of an internet marketing expert are access to
knowledge and freeing up your time. The shortcoming, of course,
is the cost associated with the use of an internet marketing
expert. In making that central decision for your unique business,
a cost-benefit analysis can provide guidance to make certain that you
make the best decision for your business.

SEO News - To path Search Engine Optimization behavior

Optimizing your website so as to increase huge traffic frequently, needs much amount of your time and exertion. It cannot be achieve in a quick time. It require proper planning in finding out the best possible ways to exert a pull on visitors to your website. If you fail to optimize our website more often, then the result will not be much to your advantage for you.

It's always well again to update ourselves with the most modern SEO news available. Every now and then, a better technique evolves which prove very much beneficial in making your website search engine optimized. Digging dip into the information available on the in progress SEO news and applying the same for your website can prove better for your website. You can find incompatible ideas at times but outstandingly you will be able to take up lots of knowledge on the latest SEO news.

In order to make a website completely search engine optimized, it is advised to follow an easy design with a regular homepage along with easily viewable site index. By this way, search engines and people will be able to find your website without problems.

The keywords selected for using in the website also decide whether the website will achieve to increase higher rankings in the an assortment of search engines or not. Now days, the suitable keywords for your particular website is easily available either for free or by expenditure a small amount. Often, it's also becomes easy to find out the proper keywords on your own.

The decide factor in making a website search engine friendly is its filling along with proper usage of keywords. A website rich in filling can prove very much helpful. The usages of keywords in a scrupulous content of the website need to be within limit. Else, these websites can be even disqualified by the various search engines or can be ignored by the many visitors visiting the websites.

Abbreviation the above facts, it can be said that in order to get noticed by the main search engines, it's vital to apply the basic SEO tips and techniques. The most wanted result will depend on how you will be able to make your website search engine responsive. Get learned about the various SEO news repeatedly and try to implement in your own website in actual fact which will without doubt prove boon for your website.

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