Today one of the biggest concerns for owners of online businesses is their placement in the search engines, especially Google, Yahoo! and MSN. For many companies losing top placement in the search engines would be devastating. But how are the search engines affecting business in general
Ive been with an SEO company for about three years now and getting results for our clients is getting a lot harder than it used to be. Three years ago you could simply stuff a website with keywords and itd be on the first page of Google for the desired keywords. Today it takes at least three to six months to see good results for any keywords worth going after. What Im wondering is if its changed this much in the last three years how much more will it change in the next three Or five Or ten
I see things going something like this. As internet access becomes more available and portable the use of search engines is going to increase more and more. On the other hand there are still only going to be ten spots on the first page for search results. This means that the same group of ten to twenty websites is going to get more and more business. As these companies grow they will be able to spend more money on other kinds of advertising such as print and television advertising. As these get more aggressive in their advertising they are going to be able to push out the other companies that depend on the business that comes from print ads and commercials.
How long until this becomes reality Its already starting to happen in some markets. For businesses in very competitive markets they are already feeling the squeeze being put on by their competitors who are enjoying the top ten ranking. To those who arent there now all I can do is suggest you do whatever you have to do to get yourself top placement in the search engines. For some businesses the short term return on investment might be small but come on, this is the future. Plan ahead before its too late.
I hope Ive gotten your thoughts running. One thing I see is people only worrying about next week and next month. Five years is a long way away and ten years is even farther but I know that five years ago doesnt seem that long ago and if I knew then what I knew now Id be retired already. Dont be the guy who in five years wishes he had taken care of this now. Instead be the guy who in five years is reaping the benefits of his foresight.
Jeffrey Henderson
Director of Marketing
ViP Search Engine Marketing
(877) 484-7736 ext.209
www.vipsem.com
I am the Director of Marketing for a professional SEO firm in Burbank, CA. I am relatively new to writing articles but I really wanted to de-bunk a lot of the myths out there about SEO and to help people understand what SEO really is. I hope that you, the reader, benefits from these articles and if you have any questions feel free to contact me.
When it comes to naming your URL it is important to be catchy, but is it more important to be relative This is a question we all must face when we name our web site. Sometimes this is easy, for instance if you have a business names Flowers-a-Plenty then its a no brainer what you will name your site. At this point if www.flowers-a-plenty.com is not taken then of course this is the optimal decision. However, if your looking to start a flower business online is it very important to come up with a name that is both catchy and relevant YES! Many of us dont have the starting capital to make the brand name so we look for something that will be both specific for rankings, and catch the millions of web users attention. The name of your website will be something you have to live with, not just a page of hundreds that might end up on your site.
There are many names that just wont be accessible or worthwhile for your online campaign. These are names that have already been taken or have an obvious conflict with current businesses. For instance, to name your new car dealership Chevie instead of the currently wide used name Chevy just isnt gonna cut it if your truly want your name to stand out. While registering the name Chivie.com might be helpful in getting traffic off of misspellings during searching, its not a feasible name to use for your branding. There are many aspects that go into branding and naming your URL. We must look at advertisability, relevance and intractability. For instance to name your search engine marketing firm Search Engine Marketing Firm might be nice and relevant, whats going to make you stand out from the rest While there are obvious barriers here, the fact that names like these are likely to be registered, you must also consider how you are going to distinguish yourself from the competition. If you have a company that specializes in this area, then getting this name and forwarding it to your business web site might be the ideal solution, but it still might not be an ideal name for your company.
Some important points to look at:
Domain Name:
Your domain name will be the name of your web presence and is many times used for an effective online branding strategy. Choose a name that is unique, easy to remember and, if possible, highlights the type of products services you wish to portray. If however your budget allows, it is more important that your name be unique. If Google had gone with a name more relevant say, InternetCrawler.com would they be who they are today If you have a selling point that out-smarts your competitors, you may add a word or two about it in the URL to take advantage of this unique portion of the branding strategy.
Logo:
When we think of windows operating system, we are reminded of its logo before everything else. Sometimes the logo will be the lasting memory in the eye of the visitor that makes you memorable, if so, then this is your unique take on the market.
Tips for branding your URL on the Web
Be Consistent:
Branding on the web would requires making sure you know your audience. You should be consistent in terms of your approach, your message and your treatment given to the viewers through and through.
Be Innovative:
Branding your URL is all about being innovative. Understand the likes and dislikes of your target audience before you begin to even think of ideas for branding yourself on the web.
Appeal to the Target Market:
Let me restate: Entire branding efforts should be focused on a SECTION of the consumer segment you wish to appeal to. Your brand should appeal to your customer and instill confidence with your viewership in which you are trying to promote to.
The web is unlike any other communications or marketing medium, your web presence is the one place where the entire identity of your company (its products, image, reputation and quality) are viewed in a matter of seconds and a few mouse clicks. Either the entire experience comes together or it doesnt. For this reason alone it is important to make your brand worthwhile to the audience in which it is intended for.
In my particular instance, I have used the name Grapester.com to promote a web site about wine, offering knowledge, articles and insight on How to Drink Grapes. While Grapester is a catchy name, the slogan also makes the site more relative as the tag How to Drink Grapes is all throughout the website and is something that the visitors that come there will remember.Remember: The brand of your presence online is a foundational building block that will stick with you throughout your online campaign and is not to be taken lightly!
Todd Levi is a current Web Design and Marketing contributor with over 5 years experience in the field of web design and promotion. His website is his current business that helps all sorts of companies get online! He also conducts a blog entitled SEO-Marketing where useful information can be found about creating, maintaining and applying strategies for bettering your online presence at