Website Redesign and the New SEO Strategies

For some websites, webpage reconstruction is the only choice to get online traffic, since Google’s Panda updates have been rolling out, these changes are inevitable.  Loss of traffic is usually loss of converted sales.

First place to start doing re-vamp is the landing page.  If you had a good online traffic before Google Panda, and your site took a big hit right after, you will need and overhaul.  Take note of the general rule though, the landing page should be optimized and engaging as well as informative enough for your viewers that they decide to explore your site and not think of clicking back. Somehow, everyone in the SEO world has agreed that keyword stuffing has gone out the window and informative content has taken its place.  Which brings us to the next point – keywords. 

Keywords are still hold great importance but the old strategies such as careful inclusion of keywords and level of keyword density is not a rule anymore.  The best SEO strategy when it comes to keywords is to make use of them naturally; some SEO experts also recommend the use of related keywords and synonyms.  However, the SEO keyword rule regarding the title tags stays so, if it looks natural, go for it.

Next comes other elements on the web page - videos, images, infographics, they are engaging and they can be optimized as well. Be creative in labeling images and videos.  Here is where it is crucial that you, your web developer, your web designer and your SEO service provider are of the same mind set.

Offsite SEO is next step to build up on, and it is best to have a dynamic SEO team who knows how go with the flow.  The past few months have been a whirlwind of changes and those who stayed on top of the SERPs are the ones who had a speedy reaction time.  Just as quality content has taken over, quality backlinks has also taken center stage.  Backlinks coming from featured authors, and likes, shares and tweets from social media sites have brought sites up the SERP ranks.

To sum it all up, the effective SEO strategies revolve around the online user’s intent and behavior.  It is not about beating the search engines but to work alongside them to give the best possible online experience we all have to offer.  Yes, it’s all about marketing and about playing by the rules that the biggest search engines put in place, and those who play nice wins every time

Web Maintenance – Things You Need To Know Before You Sign Up

                Online presence does end with the completion of your website.  It needs to be maintained in order to be effective.  Read on to prepare yourself for the next step.

1.       What do you wish your site to accomplish?  Ultimately as a matter of course, the whole idea is to make profit, but doing business online is complicated and you must take small measured steps that lead to that goal.  Even big companies start small.  So, know your goal, and it should be measurable and it should have a timeline.  These goals will dictate how web maintenance is to be conducted and how much of the service you will need.  The team who will do your web maintenance for you will be able do their job better if you know what you want and what you need.

2.       How much are you willing spend and how much can you afford?  The goal her is to set limits, the budget you have in mind may not give you the level of web maintenance you require.  Most small business owners have not yet grasped the complexities of how e-commerce and online marketing and if you are one of them, it is better to know your limits and priorities before you have a talk with the web maintenance team.

3.       What do you know about web maintenance, web development and online marketing?  If your answer is none, you will be at the mercy of the people you wish to hire for the job.  Being able to put up a business means you are familiar with the saying “knowledge is power”.   Do a little research on a few these terms.  You do not need to be an expert - (I needed to say this because most entrepreneurs have a tendency to be over achievers) research for the sake of knowing and not to take on the enormous task. Read this too for further information.

·         Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

·         Search Engine Result Pages (SERP)

·         Pay Per Click (PPC)

·         Blogs and Keywords

·         Web Analytics

4.       Are you prepared for the change and do you have the ability to let go and trust someone else to take the reins? “Know thyself “, Socrates once said, and it is a philosophy that many use for empower and change lives. It is too much for this article but in order to drive a point, it needs to be pointed out.  Most entrepreneurs are driven and when it comes to expectations from the web maintenance crew, you need to understand who you are and who they are. It is important to let them do their job because that is what they are good at.  Once you understand this when you sign up for their services, it becomes a partnership.

Click here to know more about web site maintenance and how it can help your online business grow.